best way to Cabarete from SD - new highway??

Hi,
I'd highly recommend you the new highway via Nagua. It's more quite, picturesque, but a little expensive - totaly abt RD$ 400 or so. The road Nagua - Cabarete was recently under construction and now is in good shape
Brgds

The road between Cabrera and Sabaneta is full of severe potholes. The new road is full of speed traps. I did the impossible and acted like I didn't see the scum waiving me over, and drove by them with no repercussions!

I have traveled both roads several times recently both this year and last. From Cabarete it's faster going on the new road. As Geogig mentioned the road (Sabenata to Rio Playa Grande) has been repaired and is now in good shape. Last year this section was a disaster and it made it pretty slow going so there wasn't much time saved. With the improvment you now save a lot of time. The new Highway is great and the tolls seem to keep many people away so there is not that much traffic on it. An alternate route to take from La Capital to Cabarete is to take the mountain road from Sabaneta to Moca(turn off near Santiago). It's a beautiful drive through the mountains, however if you get stuck behind a slow moving truck it can really slow you down.

it would depend on the time of day... on anything but the quiet hours (where you can avoid SDQ and Santiago rushour) take the new road as it's faster, much better and more quiet.

The road from Nagua to Cabarete has been rebuild but around Rio San Juan (the part between the city and the first bridge in particular but all the way down to Gaspar Hernandes) springs to mind) potholes still abound, but you will save time compared to last year.

Here are some images taken a month ago...

I drive to and from Santo Domingo weekly from Sosua and always take the new highway (Nagua).

Yes, there is about RD$350 in tolls, but in my opinion, the ability to maintain a consistent speed rather than accellerating and decelerating uphill on the mountain road would save a significant amount of gasoline, as well as wear and tear on the brakes and vehicle in general. Add to that the fact that you won't be stuck behind a dumptruck spilling gravel/caliche all over the road, chipping your paint and windshield, and the extra cost balances out.

ETA from my house in Sosua to my office is Gazcue (near Palacio Nacional) 2hrs, 45min. (I drop the hammer on the pay road, as it's straight and smooth as glass)

The new road is safer, if only because there're no maniacs cutting every blind corner as are often seen on the Moca road.

It's also a less stressful drive, especially from Nagua on. Very few blind curves, no kids, pets or cows on the new highway to swerve around, etc.

Be aware: on the pay portion of the road, there are always AMET with radar guns. Some of them are scam artists (one guy outright lied to me about my speed and when challenged to show the radar gun reading, admitted I wasn;t going as fast as he thought), some of them are exceptionally honest (caught me red-handed, and ticketed me with no chance to 'come to an arrangement'). Generally you can count on seeing them between the second and third toll booths (Direction Nagua -> Santo Domingo) under the Presidente sign (it's shadier there).