Dominican Republic presents RD$32 billion Amber Highway project

Puerto Plata.- The Dominican government officially presented the Amber Highway project to business leaders and local authorities in Puerto Plata, highlighting it as a key infrastructure initiative aimed at improving connectivity between the Cibao region and the Atlantic Coast.

During the presentation, Minister of the Presidency José Ignacio Paliza said the RD$32 billion project will help boost investment, tourism and employment in the region. RD Vial Trust Director General Hostos Rizik explained that the four-lane highway will reduce travel time between Santiago and Puerto Plata by about one hour, carry more than 3.5 million vehicles annually, and include tunnels and express interchanges. Construction is expected to take 30 months after the completion of the public bidding process.

Authorities estimate the project will create about 6,800 jobs while strengthening tourism, logistics, manufacturing and agriculture. The bidding process is expected to last eight months, with construction scheduled to begin in August 2026. Business and tourism representatives in Puerto Plata reiterated their support for what they described as a long-awaited project for the province.

While the final alignment is still being refined through the public bidding process and environmental impact assessments, the overall route of the proposed Autopista del Ámbar (Amber Highway) has already been defined.

The 32.7-kilometer, four-lane expressway will significantly improve connectivity between Santiago de los Caballeros and Puerto Plata, reducing travel time from approximately 90 minutes to just 30 minutes.

The highway will begin at the Circunvalación Norte (Northern Ring Road) in Santiago before crossing the Sierra Septentrional mountain range. To overcome the challenging terrain, the project includes the construction of at least two tunnels, measuring approximately 1.8 kilometers and 700 meters in length.

From there, the route will descend to the Atlantic coastal plains and terminate at the Gran Parada intersection, providing direct access to Puerto Plata, Sosúa, and Cabarete.