Kilometer 9 Highway Work Enters Final Phase, Inauguration Date Unset

Construction on the Duarte Highway's Kilometer 9, a project that began four years ago, has entered its final stages. While the work is nearly finished, an official inauguration date remains unannounced. Sources close to the project indicate that only a few tasks remain, such as installing elevators on the pedestrian bridge, finalizing signage, and securing approval for traffic flow from the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant).

Currently, a pilot plan is in effect to manage traffic using temporary signage. Authorities are monitoring traffic patterns before implementing a permanent system. This phase includes work on the pedestrian environment, which previously suffered from accumulated garbage, and involves painting and finishing murals and other areas. The project, which started in February 2022 with an initial budget of 900 million pesos, has undergone several adjustments to reorganize vehicular and pedestrian circulation at one of the Duarte Highway's most congested points. Efforts have been made to minimize disruption to traffic flow.

Officials, including Jhael Isa Tavárez of the Metropolitan Transport Company (EMT) and Fitram, and Intrant director Juan Manuel Méndez, recently toured the area to advance the reorganization of public transport and the integration of feeder routes into the main system. This section of the highway handles approximately 120,000 vehicles daily. The ongoing work is part of broader efforts to improve traffic flow in the capital, alongside projects like the one at 27 de Febrero with Luperón.