Dominican Quake Office Flags 67 Bridges
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · INFRASTRUCTURE
Key Facts
- What is happening Leonardo de Jesús Reyes Madera, head of Onesvie, the national seismic assessment office, said 67 of 821 assessed bridges are in critical condition and could fail in a major quake, in remarks made public on Wednesday, 28 October.
- Why it matters Onesvie says hospitals, schools and bridges must keep working after a quake, yet it says about 70% of 87 assessed hospitals could go out of service.
- The numbers Onesvie assessed 821 bridges and put 67, about 8%, in critical condition. In July the president said about 50 bridges were being repaired or reinforced.
- Who is who Onesvie is the Dominican government office that rates how well buildings and infrastructure resist earthquakes. The Ministry of Public Works, which manages the country’s roads and bridges, was reportedly told about the bridges.
- What to watch Whether Onesvie or the Ministry of Public Works names the 67 bridges, which has not happened yet, and what repairs, restrictions or closures follow.
- What it means for you US travellers and residents cannot yet tell which crossings are affected, because no bridge has been named, so follow Dominican government announcements before long road trips.
The head of the Dominican Republic’s earthquake assessment office says 67 of 821 assessed bridges are in critical condition. His remarks were made public on Wednesday, 28 October, and no bridge was named.
Sixty-seven Dominican bridges are in critical condition, says the country’s earthquake assessment office. The count comes from director general Leonardo de Jesús Reyes Madera, in remarks made public on Wednesday, 28 October.
Onesvie, the government office that rates how well buildings and bridges resist earthquakes, assessed 821 bridges in different parts of the country. It put 67 of them, about 8%, in the critical group, which could fail in a major earthquake.
What Onesvie Told the Conference
The remarks were part of a talk on the seismic vulnerability of buildings, infrastructure and lifelines in the Dominican Republic. It was given in the Horacio Álvarez Saviñón auditorium at UNPHU, a university in Santo Domingo.
Reyes Madera said the findings show the need for mitigation and structural reinforcement. The remarks as made public say the Ministry of Public Works, which manages the roads and bridges, was notified.
He did not say which bridges are affected, and no list was made public. Onesvie’s assessments, he said, identify weak points, give technical recommendations and inform decisions that improve safety.
Other speakers included Charles Huyck, a co-founder of the risk-analysis firm ImageCat, and civil engineer Ashley Morales-Cartagena. Gloria Ceballos, director of Indomet, the national meteorology institute, was among those named at the event.
Hospitals and Schools Share the Risk
In the same remarks Reyes Madera said about 70% of 87 assessed hospitals could go out of service in a major quake. He gave the share as an approximation, and Onesvie’s own published release carries it.
He called hospitals, schools, bridges and other strategic buildings essential, because they must keep working for services and emergency response. Cutting risk, he said, means assessing existing structures and enforcing building codes.
He also called for stronger institutions and a culture of prevention across society. The published remarks give no budget or timetable for any of this.
What the Government Said in July
President Luis Abinader said in an interview on Sunday, 12 July, that about 50 bridges were being repaired or reinforced. He described this as a preventive programme that followed technical evaluations by specialists.
He said work was also done on the La Barquita bridge and the Francisco del Rosario Sánchez bridge. He added that an evaluation spotted decay in the La Vega bridge, so traffic was banned before it failed.
He said 40 to 50 schools were evacuated for structural reasons. Work has focused on buildings near the Septentrional fault in the north, described as one of the country’s most active.
The main concern is buildings put up before the national seismic code took effect in 1979. Before that year, the country had no mandatory earthquake-resistant design standard.
What It Means for US Readers
The Dominican Republic is a popular destination for US travellers and has close family ties to the United States. The warning concerns a possible future earthquake, and the remarks announced no closures or travel changes.
Because no bridge has been named, visitors and residents cannot tell which crossings are affected. Investors in Dominican infrastructure and insurers may watch whether the Ministry of Public Works publishes a list and funds repairs.
Background is in the reports on Dominican investment of US$4.5 billion and Dominican and US relations. Related coverage covers police shootouts, the Dominican Republic hub and the Santo Domingo city page.
What Is Not Known
The 67 bridges have not been named, so it is not known where they are or how heavily they are used. The dates and method of the assessments were not given.
The bridge count, as made public on Wednesday, comes from one published account, and Onesvie’s own release does not repeat it. No written Onesvie or ministry document carrying the figures could be found.
It is not known whether the 67 overlap with the roughly 50 bridges the government said in July it was fixing. The remarks do not say whether any of the 67 bridges is unsafe for traffic today.
What Comes Next
Onesvie and the Ministry of Public Works now need to say which bridges are critical and what will be done. No date for that was given, and no timetable or budget for repairs.
A written report or a ministry list would let drivers, insurers and engineers check specific crossings. Until then the figure of 67 remains an unconfirmed total without locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Dominican bridges could fail in an earthquake?
Onesvie’s director said 67 of the 821 bridges assessed are in critical condition and could fail in a major earthquake. That is about 8%, and the figure is not yet confirmed in a written report.
What is Onesvie?
Onesvie is the Dominican government office that assesses how well buildings and infrastructure resist earthquakes. Its director general is Leonardo de Jesús Reyes Madera.
Which bridges are on the list?
That is not known, because the 67 bridges have not been named. The remarks as made public say the Ministry of Public Works was told about them.
Is it safe to drive in the Dominican Republic now?
The remarks do not say any bridge is unsafe for traffic today, and they announced no closures. Follow announcements from the Dominican authorities.
How many hospitals could be knocked out?
Onesvie’s director said about 70% of 87 assessed hospitals could go out of service in a major earthquake. The figure was given as an approximation.
Sources: Onesvie, Oficina Nacional de Evaluación Sísmica y Vulnerabilidad de Infraestructura y Edificaciones, release of 28 October on its director general’s conference remarks; Presidency of the Dominican Republic, President Abinader’s interview of 12 July; Ministry of Public Works (MOPC); Indomet, national meteorology institute (all accessed 29 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief