The government has announced plans to construct the Vista Panorámica de la Bauxita highway, which will connect the provinces of Pedernales and Independencia in the Dominican Republic. The aim is to promote tourism development in the Lake Enriquillo circuit and Sierra de Baoruco, among other areas.
Sócrates Méndez Ramírez, president of the Tourism Cluster of Independencia Province, explained that the highway would restore the connection between the provinces in the Enriquillo region, including Independencia, Baoruco, Barahona, and Pedernales.
The proposed highway would be an extension of an existing trail called Rabo de Gato, which was previously used by the now-defunct Alcoa Exploration Company for bauxite transportation. It traverses the Sierra de Baoruco, passing through Cabo Rojo, El Acertillar, Rabo de Gato, Puerto Escondido, and El Hoyo de Pelempito.
Méndez Ramírez stated that the highway would enable a one-hour and fifteen-minute journey between the two provinces, adding to the attractions that tourists visiting Pedernales can explore as part of the government’s development plan.
Several entities, including the Ministries of Public Works, Environment and Natural Resources, and Agriculture, along with the Institute for the Development of the Southwest (Indesur), the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), and the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA), have assessed the road to determine their respective responsibilities.
Preliminary studies are already underway, and subsequent to these studies, a tender will be opened to begin construction. The highway will be completed alongside the infrastructure projects being developed in Pedernales, such as the airport and cruise port.
Méndez Ramírez emphasized that the planned port in Cabo Rojo and the hotels will act as catalysts for tourism in the southern provinces, eventually connecting to San Juan de la Maguana. The project aims to revitalize tourism in the southern region of the country.