Proposal finds Amber Highway equals cost of 400 km in strategic tourist routes

Santo Domingo.- The patriotic, tourism, and environmental initiative RD por lo Alto presented a proposal arguing that the RD$32 billion allocated for the 32–35 km Autopista del Ámbar could instead finance over 400 km of priority tourist roadways urgently needed across the country. Based on actual Ministry of Public Works (MOPC) construction costs from the past decade—RD$65–85 million per kilometer for two-lane roads with rehabilitation and expansion—the group maintains that the same investment could cover multiple corridors identified as high priority in the National Tourism Development Plan and various tourism cluster master plans.

The proposal outlines five key projects: a new Miches–Sabana de la Mar–El Seibo coastal road (68 km); the Sabana de la Mar–Sánchez–Las Terrenas route (75 km) in critical condition; a new Montecristi–Dajabón–Loma de Cabrera bypass (82 km) to link with the Port of Manzanillo and border tourism; the Barahona–Enriquillo–Pedernales circuit (95 km), including the nearly impassable Oviedo–Pedernales segment; and the Jarabacoa–Constanza–Valle Nuevo–Ocoa mountain corridor (80 km), essential for tourism and agriculture. Together, these projects would strengthen connectivity between emerging destinations and major airports such as Punta Cana, Las Américas, Puerto Plata, El Catey and Cabo Rojo.

RD por lo Alto stresses that these routes are not new inventions—they have appeared in documents from the Ministry of Tourism, the World Bank, the IDB, and local tourism clusters for more than a decade but remain unbuilt due to lack of funding. The group highlights the cost contrast: while the Amber Highway is estimated at RD$915 million per kilometer, the proposed corridors could be built with full safety and drainage standards for RD$70–85 million per kilometer, generating ten times more territorial impact and benefiting five regions instead of just one.

The initiative concludes by urging authorities and Congress to evaluate the most equitable and sustainable use of public funds to boost tourism development with greater social and environmental benefits.