- Thread starter LindseyKaufman
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North Coast Roads Report: 2016-2018
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Yes, I am told that is the best way to go. However, I just left Jamao and there were torrential downpours. I would check again in the morning regarding the situation. If it rains hard all night, there might be problems on that road, too.
Lindsey
I was going to try that road but have been told it is very twisting...and takes a long time.
It may be the next best option for some.
From Cabrera we are going through Macoris.
It may be the next best option for some.
From Cabrera we are going through Macoris.
Here is the status of a bridge between Luperon and Historic La Isabella. It has been passable on one side, but not to sure how long that will last. Its the only way here, so when it goes.....we are cut off from civilization!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGpf5673Zmc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGpf5673Zmc
It's a fantastic road. I wouldn't say it was any more twisting that the moca road. But it is more up and down. First climbs up, then drops down into Joba Arriba (Abajo!) then climbs again for some distance to La Cumbre before the final downhill into Tenares.
At the moment*however it may not be such a joy to drive
At the moment*however it may not be such a joy to drive
A brief update on the past week with a Ford E350 15-passenger van pulling a trailer with two 450lb. bikes and 8 V-Strom DL650 motorcycles. Our destination was Las Galeras on the Samana peninsula.
Because our usual route was inop, we used Rte. 132 from the autopista south of La Vega to Nagua.
After 47 years of motorcycling, Friday was the most I have ridden in the rain in one day in my life.
FWIW, this tour will appear in one of the largest motorcycling magazines. The writer is having a seriously excellent time, one of his best tours ever, but we haven't discussed his approach to the article yet. Will be interesting.
Because our usual route was inop, we used Rte. 132 from the autopista south of La Vega to Nagua.
- Tuesday the weather was great so we saw no problems at all. It's a decent road. On a side note we'd not been through SFM on years and were greatly impressed with the growth and cleanliness, many new modern structures and homes everywhere. The road from Nagua to Las Galeras was fine although some evidence of a lot of water from debris on the road. Samana to Las Galeras had several areas f landslided and large rocks which had been removed. Overall no problema at all.
- Wednesday we rode Las Galeras-El Limon-Las Terrenas and return. Great weather and even much mud had begun to dry. Great ride for our guests. Salto El Limon was the most active we've ever seen.
- Thursday, more great weather going by van to Playa Rincon. The road to Rincon was fine. But the road to the beach starting with the downhill stretch starting at the chain link fence was a problem. Where ordinarily a few stretches of 10m would have a couple inches of water over the hard gravel surface, now there were stretched of 18-24" of water on the road, one stretch of 200m, even around a corner. The big van made it through with a few skips of the heart (I was driving) through the nasty water that smelled of sewer (but more likely decaying organic matter and not waste, but I wouldn't want to put a toe in it), Mo Mentum being our best friend. There were a couple of 4-6" drops in these pools, but we made it. The sand road to the east beach was fine. However, coming back two little sabot mini-rental cars were stuck with water in the interior. One had four rather dour tourists looking helpless. Sad.
- Friday, our return to Jarabacoa day, it rained all day. We tried the bypass around Las Terrenas, past El Limon, but the road coming downhill to the little village was completely flooded, 18" of red soup. No way motorcycles were going through. I called Alida before the van/trailer got there. We went back through Las Terrenas. The streams that course through LT were raging and taking land with them, several hovels on the bring of falling into the rushing water. Many cross streets were like streams with 6" of water. We took the toll road, and one low-lying stretch the water was 12-15" across the road. We watched a couple of pickups go through, water near the floorboards, didn't see any drop-offs, and 8 V-Stroms forded the red muck, boots a tad filled & pants wet but riders happy. We stopped and drained the water from our boots. Alida in the big van had no problem. Further down the road, where a poster showed a pic of a landslide across the road, the road had been cleared and we passed. However, AMET wouldn't let Alida pass. She backtracked to the scenic overlook and turned the trailer around. Fortunately, we had stopped at the big toll booth past El Catay, and I was able to get her call. I convinced her to go back and declare "an emergency" to get through, since we knew it was a piece of bizchoco. The AMET guy was gone, and the clean-up crew let her pass. Going back would have added hours for her. The rest of the road through Nagua, SFN, Tenares (we took a different route past SFM), Salcedo, Moca, La Vega, all the way to Jarabacoa was fine. It took 10 hours in the rain, but we all arrived happy, wet...and tired.
After 47 years of motorcycling, Friday was the most I have ridden in the rain in one day in my life.
FWIW, this tour will appear in one of the largest motorcycling magazines. The writer is having a seriously excellent time, one of his best tours ever, but we haven't discussed his approach to the article yet. Will be interesting.
CB
I did the Nagua to STI run Friday too.... just awful. Back and forth for me, over 3 hours each way.
Ugly
Glad your people had a good time*
I did the Nagua to STI run Friday too.... just awful. Back and forth for me, over 3 hours each way.
Ugly
Glad your people had a good time*
Certainly not the preferred route, for sure.
But the alternatives also are problematic. One is inop, the other, having been on it numerous times, fraught with potential issues, especially where torrential rains meet two nasty fault lines...not to mention, as we've been told by CD & policia, a LOT more traffic, including commercial trucks.
Friday was a bad day to be on the roads, especially by motorcycle for 10 hours. But once you're wet, you can't be wetter. The worst part was going up the hill to Jarabacoa in the rain...and dark. Hard to see looking through a rain streaked faceshield, even with a coat of RainEx, especially with bright lights coming toward you...
The bridge had been closed since Thursday as a support had collapsed. One of my students just wrote me asking about classes today. I asked him how the bridge is. He said there is water above it. I am referring to the bridge just after Jamao, not the bridge before Los Brazos. I asked about that, but nobody knows.
I am sure that I will hear from my priest friend this morning. He will have all the information and if it is not yet reported here, I will share what i know.
Lindsey
Went to jarabacoa yesterday through gasper Hernandez to tenares. The first 10 miles were a bit bumpy and lots of potholes but after that it wasn't too bad. No closed bridges. The ride is quite hilly so maybe rethink if you have a very small engined car. The shortest route from la vega to jarabacoa is now flooded by the river so you will need to drive up and around the long way if you're heading there.*
I just read on notiplata.com that 1 lane is still open, but if they close both lanes, this could be the one of the worse results of the storm so far...If commercial traffic can't get through from SD or Santiago apart from some convoluted detour through San Francisco or Nagua, that means less/no deliveries or possible help from the government...
http://notiplata.com/colapsa-cabezal-puente-imbert-pp-se-encuentra-al-borde-la-incomunicacion/
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/11/19/colapso-puentes-aislan-puerto-plata
the rumour has it that MOPC is closing the bridge altogether. oops.
the rumour has it that MOPC is closing the bridge altogether. oops.
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