Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – A major infrastructure revitalization project focused on one of the nation’s most storied historic districts has reached a key milestone, with Tourism Minister David Collado officially opening the newly renovated Colón Street and the northern and southern segments of Hostos Street. These upgrades form a core component of the national government’s Priority Street Rehabilitation Plan, a wide-ranging initiative designed to preserve and upgrade the Colonial City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and top tourist attraction.
The 61.5 million Dominican peso project targeted Colón Street between Vicente Celestino Duarte and Fuerte del Ángulo, along with sections of Hostos Street stretching between Padre Billini, Arzobispo Meriño, and José Gabriel García streets. Speaking at the inauguration, Minister Collado emphasized that these street upgrades are far more than a cosmetic facelift: they form part of a holistic push to upgrade urban infrastructure across the Colonial City, boost both pedestrian and vehicle mobility, modernize aging drainage networks, and protect the area’s centuries-old cultural and architectural heritage for future generations.
The renovation works delivered a full suite of upgrades across both corridors. New sidewalks, full repaving, modernized stormwater drainage systems, updated street furniture, energy-efficient lighting, buried utility infrastructure, clear wayfinding signage, and enhanced public landscaping were installed across both project sites. Colón Street, one of the Colonial City’s most iconic thoroughfares, received special treatment with traditional cobblestone paving, new public benches, traffic-calming bollards, and decorative planters to highlight its historic character. By contrast, the upgraded sections of Hostos Street were fitted with durable concrete slabs, decorative tiles, and ceramic brick sidewalks tailored to the area’s mixed-use pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Collado announced that the final phase of street improvement interventions across the entire Colonial City is on track to wrap up by December this year. Once all remaining projects under the second stage of the Inter-American Development Bank-funded program are completed, the widespread street closures that have disrupted access to the district during construction will come to an end, allowing full, uninterrupted access for visitors, residents, and businesses.
Beyond street rehabilitation, the minister highlighted the breadth of additional public and private investments flowing into the historic district. These include targeted restoration projects for iconic monuments, historic churches, and cultural museums, alongside a community-focused residential improvement program that will deliver repairs to more than 100 family homes and upgrade building facades across surrounding residential neighborhoods. The full suite of projects aims to balance heritage preservation with improved quality of life for local residents and a better experience for the millions of tourists that visit the Colonial City each year.