The past Medina administration was known for inaugurating works that were not completed. A report in El Nacional points to a repeat of this action by the Abinader administration.
President Luis Abinader and his media team highlighted the readiness of a first stretch of the 3.3 promenade, the Paseo del Rio, now under construction fronting the Ozama River. But El Nacional reporter Jorge Gonzalez tried to tour the river promenade and found out the hard way that the Paseo del Río Avenue does not yet have an entrance or exit road.
Despite its impressive beauty and modernity, this work will be used for now only as a recreational park for the locals since it has no connection with other roads, reports Jorge González.
Reporter Gonzalez concludes that President Luis Abinader now joins the list of Dominican Presidents who have inaugurated works in haste without these being ready for operation.
Although started in the Medina administration the work was modified in the current Abinader government. It has been widened from two to four lanes and a boulevard with sports facilities (basketball court and soccer field) and recreational areas has been added.
Abinader, in an activity on Monday, 6 December, inaugurated the first phase of the three-kilometer stretch of Paseo del Rio Avenue, which is part of the Nuevo Domingo Savio housing and urban renewal project, in the La Cienaga and Los Guandules sectors of the National District on the west bank of the Ozama River.
Although it is ready in the first stage, there is no free access for vehicles since the three kilometers built are in the middle of the project without any conditioned entrance or exit.
In the southern part of the project there is still a section missing for the interconnection (second stage) with Avenida del Puerto and in the northern part the third stage is pending, which would be the widening of the 17th Street to connect it with the Francisco del Rosario Sanchez Bridge (Puente de la 17).
The Paseo del Río is a reinforced concrete avenue above the water level. Along its entire length, parks, playgrounds, planters, a children’s baseball stadium, sports fields, bicycle paths, and small docks for rowboats and sidewalks with benches for seating are going up.
This first section of the Paseo del Río Avenue has cost RD$1.6 billion. The money went to compensate the people who lived in the area and for the construction works.
Gonzalez reports that a long cyclone fence is on the western side of the new road stretch, limiting it from the slums that can be seen, with a marginal dirt alley connecting the two and providing access to those who live in the area.
When he toured the area, Gonzalez reports that heavy machines were at work on the stretch to provide the needed connection to the Avenida del Puerto. In the meantime, don’t yet plan on visiting the highly publicized promenade.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
DR1 News
10 December 2021