News reports indicate that work is well advanced along the Autovía del Este, the expressway that will connect Santo Domingo with San Pedro de Macorís. Engineer Miguel Logroño told national press that toured the construction that they expect the 56-kilometer expressway will be completed by April. The expressway has a cost of RD$1,200 million (including electric works, green areas, overpasses, etc. The Autovía del Este will link into the Avenida Circunvalación de San Pedro de Macorís, on which construction has also been started. This avenue will permit through traffic from Santo Domingo to La Romana, reducing the time and distance between the capital city and that eastern city and beach destination zone. The Autovía has been built so it can be expanded to six lanes in the future. Contractors say it will have a 20-year life span. (12 January 2000)
