Above: the new highway

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez has inaugurated the new Mao-Santiago Rodriguez highway, built at a cost of just under $18 million.

The project, which involved a significant rehabilitation, aimed to improve interaction between the provinces of Valverde and Santiago Rodriguez, according to the Ministry of Public Works.

The project, which was conducted by engineering firm Estrella, will impact residents in the communities of Los Quemados, Las Caobas, Moncion, El Pino, Partido, Loma de Cabrera, Dajabon, Cruce de Los Caimanes and others.

The work was extended to the Fort Benito Moncion and the Northwest Regional University Centre of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in Mao.

Fernandez’s office said the infrastructure projects aimed to raise the living standards of the local population and encourage productivity and development in the area, from reduced fuel and travel times.