SANTO DOMINGO – Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader recently conducted an on-site inspection of the ongoing expansion and redevelopment work on Avenida República de Colombia, a flagship government infrastructure initiative designed to tackle chronic traffic congestion and boost urban mobility across the National District.
Valued at nearly 12 billion Dominican pesos (approximately $213 million USD), the entire project is funded through revenue generated from the Aerodrom concession contract, a deal that grants the private airport operator management rights over the country’s primary air facilities. The total budget also covers all land expropriation costs required to clear space for the expanded roadway and associated infrastructure.
Joining the president during the site visit was Eduardo Estrella, the nation’s Minister of Public Works, alongside lead project engineers and senior ministry officials. During the walkthrough, government representatives outlined the core goals of the initiative: the project targets one of the capital’s most gridlocked traffic corridors, where daily commutes often stretch for hours due to outdated road design and rising vehicle ownership. By upgrading the roadway and creating new connecting infrastructure, officials aim to cut travel times, reduce vehicular emissions from idling traffic, and ultimately improve the daily quality of life for thousands of area residents.
As of the inspection, the project has already hit key early milestones: several new U-turn lanes along the corridor leading toward La Monumental have been completed and opened to the public, providing early relief for local drivers. The full scope of work includes the construction of a new bridge spanning a local ravine, which will connect directly to a newly built tunnel system. When complete, the project will create a seamless, uninterrupted through-route that eliminates the need for traffic lights and repeated stops along the busy corridor. The upgraded road will establish direct, high-speed connections between three of the capital’s major arterial routes: Avenida Jacobo Majluta, the existing República de Colombia Avenue, and Avenida Monumental.
Authorities confirmed the project will be delivered in sequential phases to minimize disruption to daily traffic in the area. The first completed section of the new roadway is on track to open to the public by the end of the current calendar year, with full construction completion projected for the third quarter of 2025. During his visit, President Abinader toured multiple active construction zones, reviewed progress against the project timeline, and received detailed technical briefings from the engineering team and public works leadership on outstanding work and upcoming milestones.