The Coral Expressway that will link La Romana to the Punta Cana Airport is almost 65% complete. The Santo Domingo-Punta Cana route is 227 kilometers, of which a final stretch of 70 kilometers was entrusted to the Brazilian firm of Odebrecht by the Ministry of Public Works. Tecnoamerica is responsible for technical supervision, led by engineer Pedro Delgado Malagon, a former Minister of Public Works.
The stretch will bypass the city of La Romana, expediting traffic to Punta Cana from Santo Domingo. Latest changes in the highway design entrusted to Odebrecht include 15 additional kilometers, adding on US$40 million to the US$360 million Coral Expressway, for a total of US$401 million project for the total 85kms, according to Juvenalito Gusmaos, the engineer in charge for Odebrecht.
The four-lane expressway will cross the La Romana International Airport (LRM), Chavon River, go past the entrance to Bayahibe, follow the Duey River and end at the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the province of La Altagracia. The expressway is built so it can be expanded to six lanes in the future.
The access roads are being built and traffic circles in La Romana, Bayahibe, Punta Cana and Higuey are nearly finished and work is progressing according to plan with a target completion date of June 2012.
The expressway will have three bridges over the Chavon, Duey and Santa Clara rivers, and the bridges are almost finished. The bridge over Chavon River will be 300 meters long at a height of 35 meters above the river level.
The roadbed between kilometers 16 and 22 of the highway is in the process of being paved.
Dozens of pieces of heavy equipment are at work on the new expressway, which will have four lanes and allow speeds of up to 110 kilometers per hour. The highway will allow rapid access to the east from Santo Domingo.
Odebrecht will retain a 23-year maintenance contract.
Two toll booths are planned, one at Km.18 shortly after the Bayahibe road access and another at Km.58, shortly before the access road to Punta Cana.