Minister of Public Works and Communications Gonzalo Castillo has announced that the government will go ahead with plans to build the San Juan de la Maguana-Santiago road, a new north-south connection that would cross national park areas. Construction is scheduled to start this month (July 2014) or next (August 2014) as promised by President Danilo Medina last year when he visited San Juan de la Maguana province.
As reported, the first stage of the road, known as Cibao-South will cover the route from San Juan, Moncion (Santiago Rodriguez) and Santiago and will start with the existing stretch of road that links Sabaneta with Boca de los Arroyos. The other site where the work will start will be Moncion. Details on the findings of the required environmental impact study and the costs of the project were not provided during the interview.
Castillo was speaking at a breakfast meeting with Listin Diario yesterday, Tuesday 1 July 2014. He said that the new road would take environmental considerations into account and there would be no tunnels under the mountains. He said it would help develop tourism and there would be no question of causing deforestation as the area already had been deforested. Castillo did not mention that the road would also provide access to mining operations underway in the area.
Arguing in favor of the road, Castillo said it would help tackle problems such as the frequent flooding of the river that goes through San Jose de Ocoa as they would build a new bridge at Sabana Larga.
Castillo said that he was only waiting for the authorization from President Medina to start the second stage of the Ocoa-Piedra Blanca road which would connect Sabana Larga-Rancho Arriba-Juan Adrian-Piedra Blanca, and subsequently a north south connection from Bani to Azua, the Azua bypass and the Azua Barahona road that was planned for February 2015 as well as a new road from Barahona to Enriquillo.
The proposal to build this road has met with strong opposition from environmentalists as the route goes through national parks. Former Minister of Environment Frank Moya Pons himself opposed the construction of the road given the route chosen through national park areas.
Read more in Spanish at:
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/7/2/328248/MOPC-Iniciaran-trabajos-para-carretera-Cibao-Sur