With the Duarte Bridge currently closed for repairs, motorists are having to take a slight detour. Previously, traffic had been permitted in the center of the bridge, but now all traffic is being redirected around the old structure. Public Works officials took the advice of engineers from the Conde-Mouchel consortium, charged with the repairs of the Duarte Bridge and devised the new plan. According to El Nacional newspaper, the bridge was built in 1955 during the Trujillo Era, was damaged in the Civil War of 1965, got a face lift in 1970, and in 1997 a complete re-fit was ordered. Since February of 1998, there have been 30 kilometers of new cables stored on the east side of the bridge at Calera. Reports are that the cables are now damaged.