New tolls that will be established for travel to the southwest and the north as of April are being set at RD$50 up from RD$30. The government had said there would be no tax increases or new taxes implemented in 2012. The Ministry of Public Works announced that it was awarding a concession of the Duarte and Sanchez highways to the Consorcio Dominicano de Vias Concesionadas (Dovicon). The toll at the Duarte Highway has been RD$30 for several years. Congress needs to approve the concession for this to come into effect.

The plan is to grant the concession of five tolls to the company as of 1 April 2011 for 423 months (35 years). New toll stations will be established at Km 31 of the Duarte Highway (Pedro Brand), Km 3 of the 6 of November Highway, Km 13 of the Sanchez Highway, Km 136 of the Duarte Highway and Km 33 of the Navarrete-Puerto Plata Highway.

The project covers the entire length of the Duarte Highway, from Santo Domingo to Santiago, some 10 kilometers of the 6 of November Highway to San Cristobal and a third stage of repairs to the Joaquin Balaguer section of highway between Santiago and Navarrete. The contract also includes the completion, operation and maintenance of the Santiago Beltway, some 24 kilometers long, and the widening of the highway between Navarrete and Puerto Plata to four lanes. This huge deal also includes the sixth stage of the San Cristobal-Bani highway.

The contract was signed by Public Works Minsiter Victor Diaz Rua and Colombian Armin Ricardo Garcia Acuna, president of Dovicon. Dovicon expects a 19.5% yield on the investment, as reported in El Caribe.

The US$471.9 million dollar contract with the DOVICON consortium covers the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the Viadom Project.

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