The Minister of Public Works Miguel Vargas signed an agreement with a Colombian company to build the 120-km. highway to Samana from Santo Domingo. The highway will cut the distance 76 kilometers. The shortest route today is 196 kms. long, through Cotuí. The company will make the US$125 million investment over a three-year period and will recuperate the investment by collecting tolls money. Luis Fernando Jaramillo signed for the Consorcio Dominico-Colombiano Autopista del Nordeste. The government of Colombia, through its Banco del Comercio Exterior de Colombia will finance 80% of the project, with 20% funded by the Dominican government. Construction time is estimated at 36 months. The project needs to be approved by Congress. The highway will begin at Km. 15 of the Las Americas Highway, crossing the plains of Bayaguana and Monte Plata, going East of Sabana Grande Boya, through Los Haitises (Batey Majagual-Guaraguao), La Reforma, La Raya, Arenoso and el Aguacate to link into the Nagua-Sanchez highway at El Rincon, 100 meters west of the bridge over Caño Gran Estero. Former Minister of Public Works designed the route, engineer Pedro Delgado Malagon and his company Inarsa. (12 July 2001)
