Driving from Santiago to Punta Cana

Can anybody give me a good time estimate for driving from Santiago directly to Punta Cana? I'm leaving on Friday around 5 pm, would it be possible/practical to get to Punta Cana the same day, even if its late? (and would it be safe???) I've gone once before, by bus, but with all the stops its hard to compare.

Oh, and I've heard there's two routes? one that passes through San Pedro and the other one doesn't? Which would be better?

Any info would be appreciated...thanks.

Just wanted to update my post - I did the drive from Santiago to Punta Cana this past Friday. Left Santiago around 5:30 pm and decided to stop over at family in La Romana because I arrived there around 10 pm.

Instructions given from Hillbilly are accurate - just took me way longer because I got lost in Santo Domingo, due to the fact that when I was on the Kennedy I took all the "elevados" and "tuneles", so I passed righ over the Maximo Gomez by mistake, when I realized had to turn back and lost a lot of time. I would recommend being careful after going through the long tunnel on the 27 de febrero, the road forks and to take the Americas you need to turn to the right.

Santo Domingo - San Pedro, no problems, pretty straightforward though they?re renovating with a few "desvios" and at night its not that easy to see where you?re going. San Pedro - Romana, the road is worse and very dark and solitary. We were two women traveling alone so I didn't feel very safe.
Left La Romana around 11 am next day and arrived at the hotel around 1:30 pm. This would take much less time if 1) the signs were clearer 2) the roads were better 3)the roads were wider. When you pass through Higuey, definitely ask where to turn to Punta Cana/Bavaro cause it is NOT obvious. Then just keep on going till Ver?n, where you'll have to turn left at the gas station. Straight again till you start seeing signs to the different hotels in Punta Cana, then we just stopped and asked again. Everyone was very helpful and gave decent directions (not always so in DR).

I was surprised at the conditions the road were in from Higuey to Punta Cana, shameful for a tourist area. They're renovating around San Pedro and that part will be excellent soon, but Punta Cana needs serious work. I'm glad I did that leg of the trip by day.

Going back (Punta Cana - Santiago). Left Punta Cana at 4:30 pm, stopped in Santo Domingo to eat, arrived at Santiago at 11. So discounting 1 hour for the stop, took us around 5 1/2 hours, driving safely. Would be much less if there were a decent "autopista" to Punta Cana, (for example, we got stuck behind a line of buses and cars and no getting around them for 15 minutes).

Again, thanks to everyone that responded. DR1 is the place to go for help!

Pd

I forgot to add- the trip was fine for me, but I wouldn't do it again, for just one day/night at the hotel. I like road trips but when they're this long and you're on a schedule, you don't have time to stop and look around and get a sense of the different towns and cities. The only reason I did it was to join up with a group of cousins and friends I wouldn't have seen otherwise.