SANTO DOMINGO – Dominican infrastructure authorities have issued official reassurances regarding the structural integrity of the Juan Pablo Duarte Bridge spanning the Ozama River, following public concern over social media images showing apparent damage. A comprehensive technical evaluation conducted by the Public Infrastructure Oversight Commission for Climate Change in collaboration with the National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE) concluded that the bridge remains fully operational and safe for public use.
The investigation determined that the visible damage depicted in viral social media posts is confined to non-structural secondary masonry walls, which play no role in the bridge’s load-bearing capacity or overall structural stability. ONESVIE, serving as the commission’s executive director, confirmed that preliminary analyses verify the structure’s compliance with all mandated safety and operational standards, asserting that there exists no identifiable risk to daily commuters or transportation activities.
In a related development, government officials revealed the initiation of a public bidding process to engage specialized diagnostic services for multiple strategic bridges across the nation. This infrastructure initiative, financially backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will encompass detailed evaluations of the Juan Pablo Duarte and Juan Bosch bridges in Santo Domingo, the Hermanos Patiño bridge in Santiago, and the Mauricio Báez bridge in San Pedro de Macorís. The program will employ cutting-edge testing technologies to facilitate proactive maintenance strategies, thereby enhancing the long-term durability, safety, and reliability of these critical transportation arteries.