Santiago.- The Government reported that the Amber Highway, one of the most anticipated road infrastructure projects for the Northern region, has entered its decisive phase with the start of the bidding process and the development of final designs, projecting its completion within a 30-month period.
The road will connect Santiago to Puerto Plata more quickly and seeks to transform the economic, tourism, and logistics dynamics of the North Cibao region.
The announcement was made this Monday afternoon during a meeting organized by the Association for Development, Inc. (APEDI) and Compromiso Santiago, where the Minister of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza, and the director of the General Coordinating Office of the RD-Vial Trust, Hostos Rizik Lugo, presented the technical and financial progress and the execution schedule of the project.
Paliza assured that the project has the necessary financial backing through the road infrastructure trust created by the Government. He explained that the State obtained nearly RD$8 billion from the sale of assets, resources that will serve as an initial contribution, while the rest of the investment will be covered by future revenues generated by the highway, estimated at more than US$200 million.
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The official indicated that the construction will be tendered through RD-Vial and reiterated that the schedule contemplates an execution of approximately two and a half years.
For his part, Hostos Rizik Lugo explained that the project is advancing in the adjudication and final design preparation stage, while the legal and environmental processes required to begin construction in the shortest possible time are being completed.
He specified that the Amber Highway is part of the national road network modernization plan, along with initiatives such as the expansion of the Duarte Highway, the overpasses at kilometer 9, the Navarrete Bypass, and the San Francisco de Macorís Bypass.
During the activity, the president of APEDI, Lina García, described the initiative as a historic project for the region and recalled that for decades the productive sectors promoted the need for a more efficient connection between Santiago and Puerto Plata.
Meanwhile, the president of Compromiso Santiago, Miguel Lama Rodríguez, stated that the new highway will have a regional impact by strengthening trade, tourism, and investment in provinces such as Santiago, Puerto Plata, Espaillat, and La Vega, in addition to significantly reducing travel times.
With this project, the Government is committed to consolidating a strategic road corridor that strengthens the competitiveness of the North Cibao, increases connectivity between the main productive and tourist hubs of the region, and boosts national economic growth.
