Dozens of heavy machinery and hundreds of men have been working for several months in the reconstruction of the road that links Barahona, Enriquillo, Bahoruco and Pedernales.
Along the coastline, men and heavy machinery of the Ministry of Public Works are working on the conditioning of the land; making new routes and paths between trees of a vegetation composed of beach grape, guayacán and guasábara.
A large part of this road has many rural areas, with little presence of citizens, the interventions are progressing at a good pace, and especially the most deteriorated section, with an irregular and dangerous layout, of about 17 kilometers of road that will end up being a modern and safe road.
What can be seen
Along the way, workers can be seen directing the traffic, others working on surveying with topographic devices, gredar on the mountain slopes, tractors, backhoes, dump trucks and mechanical shovels working in unison, giving the impression to travelers passing by that they are in the midst of the construction of a mega infrastructure project.
The intensity of the blue sky competes with the different shades and degradations of the indigo and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, while the green vegetation that surrounds the entire Barahona-Enriquillo highway, added to the fresh breeze impregnated with a pleasant and soft smell of sulfurodimethyl, sea salt, fish and algae, make this journey a dreamlike illusion.
Being in November 2021 that this work began, the works are going at a good pace and the two new lanes are already being built, in parallel with very punctual interventions that are made along the entire length of the Barahona Enriquillo highway and the towns of Pedernales: Juancho, La Colonia, Oviedo, Manuel Goya, Los Tres Charcos and Cabo Rojo.
Along the entire length of this road, the widening can be seen on both sides of the road. In some stretches the widening is noticeable because the old asphalt layer is in the middle of the two rows of white earth that are being used to compact the land. In other stretches, kilometers of fill piles are visible along the road.
It is expected that with the habilitation of this 124 kilometers road, the interprovincial commerce of Barahona, Baoruco and Pedernales will be activated, allowing agricultural and other products of the whole region to be transported in a faster and safer way to the big urban centers.
What will be done
This road will have two lanes of 3.65 meters each, a 4-meter retaining wall, protective structures built with gabions that will prevent landslides and sea erosion, a drainage system with tubular culverts, concrete system and stone curb and gutter.
Removal of the existing asphalt, stabilization of the base with cement, priming and total resurfacing. Horizontal and vertical signaling, placement of safety railing, and construction of two bridges over the Boca de Maniel and San Rafael rivers.
Work is also underway on the construction of sidewalks and curbs in the streets of the municipalities and towns around the highway, the improvement of the streets of the town of Juan Esteban, the streets of the municipality of Enriquillo and the sidewalks, curbs and asphalt in the small towns of La Ciénaga, Los Patos, Los Blancos and Caletón.
Source: Mitur.gob.do
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