Dominican Republic's Amber Highway project stalls pending environmental review

The Autopista del Ámbar, a planned highway to link Santiago and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, has been awarded to a consortium that includes Engineering Star, Constructora MAR and Constructora Rizek, with an investment exceeding 28 billion pesos.

The project remains in the early design stage, and the Ministry of Environment has not received the final design or the required environmental impact study. Minister Armando Paino Henríquez explained that "no podían ir antes al ministerio porque si tú no tienes un diseño final de la obra no puedes avanzar la evaluación." Public hearings will be scheduled once the definitive design and impact study are submitted, allowing affected communities to voice concerns.

Supporters argue the highway will boost development in the Cibao region, while officials emphasize that the environmental review process must be completed before construction can proceed.