IDB finances Dominican Republic toll roads
By Sarah Ann McCay11 February 2012
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is to lend US$ 130 million to the Dominican Republic for the rehabilitation, construction, operation and maintenance of a network of connecting toll roads, known as Viadom.
Viadom links Santo Domingo to Santiago and the tourism resort area of Puerto Plata. The IDB loan will fund repairs to 199 km of roads as well as pay for 68 km of new roads to be built. It will also include the construction of a ring road around the city of Santiago as well as the construction of a road linking Santo Domingo to San Cristobal and Bani.
The infrastructure improvements will cut 24 minutes off the two-hour travel time from Santo Domingo to Santiago, and 45 minutes off the three-hour drive from Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata.
The Viadom project will create 2500 jobs during construction and 1500 jobs once the toll roads are in operation.
