The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, together with RD Vial, the government agency responsible for toll roads, and the General Directorate for the Beautification of Highways and Ring Roads (Digecac), will launch a large-scale reforestation program designed to restore green cover along some of the Dominican Republic’s busiest roadways.
The initiative aims to plant around 10 million trees and other plants over a two-year period. Authorities say the project will help recover vegetation, improve roadside landscapes, and strengthen environmental conservation along strategic transportation corridors across the country.
Major highways included in the project
Officials said the first phase of the program will prioritize several of the country’s most important road networks, including the Azua Ring Road, the Coral Highway (Autovía del Coral), the 6 de Noviembre Highway, the Juan Pablo II Highway, the Duarte Highway near the Northern Ring Road, and Ecológica Avenue, among other locations.
The announcement was made during a meeting led by Environment Minister Paíno Henríquez, alongside RD Vial Director Hostos Rizik Lugo and Digecac Director Rodolfo Valera Grullón.
Government agencies coordinate nationwide effort
Henríquez said the government is seeking to restore the country’s roadside greenery through a coordinated national planting strategy. He noted that the Ministry of Environment has the technical capacity and resources needed to support a reforestation effort of this scale.
As part of the initiative, the participating institutions will establish a technical commission responsible for defining the implementation strategy, coordinating field operations, and monitoring the project’s progress throughout the two-year period.
Hostos Rizik Lugo said RD Vial is prepared to begin the work immediately and will provide the personnel and operational resources required to carry out the program. Valera Grullón also pledged Digecac’s technical and operational teams to support the planting and maintenance activities.
Focus on environmental restoration
The reforestation effort reflects a broader objective of increasing vegetation along transportation corridors while improving the visual landscape of major highways. Restoring tree cover can also contribute to protecting soils, improving local ecosystems, and creating greener public infrastructure throughout the Dominican Republic.
Other officials participating in the planning meeting included Vice Minister of Forest Resources José Elías González, Protected Areas Director Carolina Alba Ferreras, Reforestation Director Elías Figuereo, Administrative and Financial Coordinator Rayne Paulino Estévez, RD Vial representative Francisco Toribio, and Digecac officials Alejandro Pérez and Branlys Quezada.