New airport for the North East, or maybe not?

posted on: Feb 12 2010 9:30 by Royston. Viewed 370 times.


The Ministry of Public Works has given its approval for the construction of  an airport in the Northeast of the Dominican Republic, but the Ministry of the Environment has refused the allow the licenses because the land in question is located between two rivers.

Aristides Fernandez Zuco, director of the Airports Department, said the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources objected to the construction of the airport in San Francisco de Macoris because it would affect aquifers* in the area.

Fernandez Zuco reported that the Northeast Multiple Airport will be constructed by the state and costs were estimated at between 150 and 200 million pesos.

Another hurdle that must be crossed before work starts is conclusion of the legal process to acquire all the land needed for the project. Furthermore it has also been reported that the state lacks the resources to relocate people living in the area.

The Public Works Ministry issued a resolution of �no objection� for the construction of the airport terminal, after carrying out a soil survey in light of the designs submitted.

Santiago business leaders have commented that the proposed airport should be built with private sector resources, as with the Cibao Airport. They say the state has a poor record in this type of investment.

*aquifers - an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well.

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