DR-3
Encyclopedia
DR-3 is one of three main dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...

 highways of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

, connecting Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 to the eastern cities of the republic. The highway begins at the Plaza de La Bandera, on the western side of Santo Domingo, and travels eastward through downtown Santo Domingo
Downtown Santo Domingo
Downtown Santo Domingo or better known as Polígono Central is a term used to group several neighborhoods located in central Santo Domingo, D.N, Dominican Republic defined as the area delineated by John F Kennedy Avenue on the north , on the west by Wiston Churchill avenue, on the east by Maximo...

 and continues east to Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis.....

. Outside Santo Domingo it runs roughly parallel to the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

 toward the eastern cities of the Dominican Republic. DR-3 creates a rapid connection to the Las Americas International Airport
Las Américas International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents:*On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board ....

, located only 30 kilometers east of Santo Domingo. DR-3 continues eastward to the beach towns of Andres
Andres
Andres or Andrés may refer to:* Hurricane Andres * Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois United States* Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France- People :...

 and Boca Chica
Boca Chica
Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta....

. DR-3 then continues east and slightly north to the eastern cities of San Pedro de Macoris
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...

, La Romana
La Romana
La Romana is a province of the Dominican Republic. The capital is also named La Romana, and is the third-largest city in the country. La Romana was elevated to the category of province in 1944....

, and Higuey
Higüey
Higüey mey refer to:*Salvaleón de Higüey, a city also known as Higüey in the Dominican Republic*Higüey Province, see La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic*Higuey Taíno...

 and has connections to the routes that lead to the resort towns of Bayahibe
Bayahibe
Bayahibe is a town in the Dominican Republic, located about 10 miles east of La Romana on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Founded as a fishing village in 1874 by Juan Brito and his family, who came from Puerto Rico, the town is now a touristic destination....

, Bavaro
Bávaro
Bávaro is a touristic area in Punta Cana, located in La Altagracia province, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. Bavaro was developed together with the resort area and tourist region of Punta Cana, as a town for resort workers...

, and Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...

. DR-3 has been part of a long program to improve, expand, and modernize the highways of the Republic. Most of DR-3 has been expanded to two or three lanes of traffic each way.

Route description

DR-3 is called by different names from its western terminus in Plaza de la Bandera, Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

, D.N to San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma is a municipality of approximately 17,000 people, located in the La Altagracia province of the Dominican Republic. The ruins of Juan Ponce de León's residence are located on a plateau located three kilometers from San Rafael de Yuma. The municipality is located 10 kilometers...

 in the eastern corner of the country. It connects the capital
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 of the country with the eastern region known for its heavily tourist oriented economy. DR-3 travels to the major cities of the east such as San Pedro De Macoris
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...

 and La Romana
La Romana
La Romana is a province of the Dominican Republic. The capital is also named La Romana, and is the third-largest city in the country. La Romana was elevated to the category of province in 1944....

 and the tourist towns of Bavaro
Bávaro
Bávaro is a touristic area in Punta Cana, located in La Altagracia province, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. Bavaro was developed together with the resort area and tourist region of Punta Cana, as a town for resort workers...

, Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...

 and Bayahibe
Bayahibe
Bayahibe is a town in the Dominican Republic, located about 10 miles east of La Romana on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Founded as a fishing village in 1874 by Juan Brito and his family, who came from Puerto Rico, the town is now a touristic destination....

. Together with DR-4
DR-4
DR-4 is the fourth numbered highway of the Dominican Republic. It starts from Santo Domingo eastwards to San Pedro de Macoris and then to the north to Hato Mayor del Rey and again eastwards ending in the San Rafael del Yuma ....

 it connects the east with the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo .

Expreso 27 de Febrero/Expreso de las Americas

At the Plaza de la Bandera, DR-3 begins its run named Expreso 27 de Febrero through the downtown
Downtown Santo Domingo
Downtown Santo Domingo or better known as Polígono Central is a term used to group several neighborhoods located in central Santo Domingo, D.N, Dominican Republic defined as the area delineated by John F Kennedy Avenue on the north , on the west by Wiston Churchill avenue, on the east by Maximo...

 districts of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 with a series of tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

s and underground passes, making it an important main avenue of the city. There is a kilometer-long tunnel that crosses below Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln avenues, and short tunnels crossing below Tiradentes and Maximo Gomez avenues. A T-interchange is currently in its final stages of construction (part of the larger Corredor Duarte project set to be completed in June 2010) at the Ortega y Gasset avenue, which is the only remaining intersection not grade separated. It then continues its route east, also intersecting Maximo Gomez avenue, the main north-south thoroughfare of the city. The corridor continues east of downtown via the use of a single long grade-separated viaduct with exits that connect the expreso with the southern borders of working class neighborhoods such as Miraflores, Villa Consuelo, and Mejoramiento Social. The viaduct continues above the San Martin, Juan Pablo Duarte, and Josefa Brea avenues of the city until its end in the Ozama River
Ozama River
The Ozama River in the Dominican Republic can trace its source to the Loma Siete Cabezas in the Sierra de Yamasá close to Villa Altagracia....

. As it reaches the border of the Distrito Nacional
Distrito Nacional
The Distrito Nacional is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not within any of the provinces, but is itself counted as a province. Before October 16, 2001, the Distrito Nacional was much larger, including what is now known as Santo Domingo Province....

 it crosses the Ozama River
Ozama River
The Ozama River in the Dominican Republic can trace its source to the Loma Siete Cabezas in the Sierra de Yamasá close to Villa Altagracia....

 via the Juan Pablo Duarte and Prof. Juan Bosch bridges.

DR-3 continues through Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis.....

, renamed as Expreso de Las Americas, with another kilometer-long tunnel below Venezuela and Sabana Larga avenues and a series of grade overpasses
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...

 below intersections of San Vicente de Paul and San Isidro, with a T-interchange yet to be completed in Estados Unidos avenue. Slightly further east, the Expreso connects with the Charles de Gaulle beltway of the city. Expreso de Las Americas serves as the main urban corridor of Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis.....

 and serves as a rapid connection to Downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

 and the Distrito Nacional
Distrito Nacional
The Distrito Nacional is a subdivision of the Dominican Republic enclosing the capital Santo Domingo. It is not within any of the provinces, but is itself counted as a province. Before October 16, 2001, the Distrito Nacional was much larger, including what is now known as Santo Domingo Province....

 where most of the jobs of the city are located.

Autopista de las Americas

After exiting the municipality of Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis.....

, the highway becomes a limited-access highway and runs parallel to the Caribbean Sea with six lanes of highway and a two-way, four-lane service road on the north side. The highway also contains modern service stops in the median constructed for the 2003 Pan American Games
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....

. It provides a fast connection to Las Americas International Airport
Las Américas International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents:*On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board ....

, the main airport serving Santo Domingo. Only 15 kilometers east of Greater Santo Domingo there is a toll booth for those entering the airport and traveling outside the bounds of the area. This section of the highway is one of the best in the country in terms of quality and has been improved several times since the 2003 Pan American Games. The portion from Santo Domingo Este to here is also the only true limited-access highway in the country as it contains an actual service road which allows faster traveling speeds for motorists. This portion of DR-3 (specifically when traveling eastbound) is also very dangerous due to its proximity to the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

, and has been the cause of many fatal slip-off accidents; this problem is yet to be addressed by the Dominican authorities.

Autovia del Este

East of the airport the highway bisects the beach towns of Andres
Andres
Andres or Andrés may refer to:* Hurricane Andres * Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois United States* Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France- People :...

 and Boca Chica
Boca Chica
Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta....

, greatly reducing travel speeds for a 2-3 kilometer distance due to improvised intersections and lack of proper exits; this problem is currently being addressed by the Dominican authorities and improvements over this short section of highway are underway. DR-3 continues its trip eastward, bypassing Juan Dolio (over the north) but providing a connection to the Boulevard de Juan Dolio which enters the popular resort town. To the east of Juan Dolio lies the city of San Pedro de Macoris
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...

 which DR-3 bypasses slightly over the north of the city. East of SPM is La Romana
La Romana
La Romana is a province of the Dominican Republic. The capital is also named La Romana, and is the third-largest city in the country. La Romana was elevated to the category of province in 1944....

, the easternmost city DR-3 directly connects to Santo Domingo. DR-3 ends near the town of San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma is a municipality of approximately 17,000 people, located in the La Altagracia province of the Dominican Republic. The ruins of Juan Ponce de León's residence are located on a plateau located three kilometers from San Rafael de Yuma. The municipality is located 10 kilometers...

 in La Altagracia
La Altagracia
La Altagracia is the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana is located on the eastern shores of this province.-History:...

 province, where it intersects with DR-4
DR-4
DR-4 is the fourth numbered highway of the Dominican Republic. It starts from Santo Domingo eastwards to San Pedro de Macoris and then to the north to Hato Mayor del Rey and again eastwards ending in the San Rafael del Yuma ....

. Local routes continue eastward and provide a connection to the internationally renowned tourist towns of Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...

 and Bavaro
Bávaro
Bávaro is a touristic area in Punta Cana, located in La Altagracia province, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. Bavaro was developed together with the resort area and tourist region of Punta Cana, as a town for resort workers...

 located in the eastern extremes. The highway connects Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 to the eastern part of the country with a mere four-hour drive. Many upgrades and expansion plans are designed to improve this highway in the near future; these plans are part of Viadom, a national project to improve national infrastructure.

Recent and future construction

Currently the Ministry of Public Works of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 is constructing a series of tunnels in Expreso 27 de Febrero in conjunction with the Corredor Duarte which will finalize the corridor and make it express from Wiston Churchill avenue to the Plaza de la Bandera which is the only remaining section of the expreso with no grade separation at important intersections. The tunnels are scheduled to be finished in 2011 and as of now there is machinery digging in the median of the avenue.

In Boca Chica, order breaks down due to construction and repairs being done to improve this part of the highway. Many streets of Boca Chica still intersect the highway, greatly reducing travel speed and causing slowdowns and unsafe travel relative to the rest of the highway. The Dominican government is currently trying to resolve this issue by expanding the highway and adding service roads to improve traveling speeds.

In 2002 the Autopista de las Americas was renovated by placing new light bulbs and service stops in the middle of the highway while making it a three-lane expressway. This improvement helped eliminate traffic as it entered the Greater Santo Domingo Area
Greater Santo Domingo Area
Greater Santo Domingo is a term commonly used referring to the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the Dominican Republic.This may be the Santo Domingo province together with the Distrito Nacional. Before 2001 the Distrito Nacional included the Santo Domingo Province...

. After seeing the results of these improvements the government decided to renovate the Autovia Del Este from AILA
Las Américas International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Accidents and incidents:*On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board ....

 to San Pedro De Macoris
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...

. In 2006, the Dominican government began a project to reroute the highway north of the SPM town to avoid local traffic. As a result, the Mauricio Báez Bridge
Mauricio Báez Bridge
The Mauricio Báez Bridge is a Cable-stayed bridge near San Pedro de Macoris, located in the east of the Dominican Republic, around 40 km east of the capital city of Santo Domingo. It is one of the most modern bridges in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. It replaces an old suspension...

 was constructed over the Higuamo River. Today, motorists no longer have to pass through the congested city streets of SPM in order to drive to destinations in the east.

Recently the government started a project to create a new four-lane highway named Autopista El Coral which would be non-stop from San Pedro De Macoris (SPM) to Punta Cana (one of the most popular tourist regions of the country). This section is expected to become part of the DR-3 designation.

The Boulevard del Este project would connect Autopista del Coral from Punta Cana northward to El Macao. It would complete the eastern corridor from Santo Domingo.

Major intersections

This is a timetable of distance in kilometers from Santo Domingo, one of the major cities located along the DR-3.

Cities Major intersections Distance from Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

DR-4
DR-4
DR-4 is the fourth numbered highway of the Dominican Republic. It starts from Santo Domingo eastwards to San Pedro de Macoris and then to the north to Hato Mayor del Rey and again eastwards ending in the San Rafael del Yuma ....

, DR-2
DR-2
DR-2 is the second numbered national highway in the Dominican Republic. Its common name is Carretera Sánchez in honor of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez one of the founding fathers and in the city of Santo Domingo it is known as Autopista 30 de Mayo. The highway serves as the main connection to the...

0 km, begins here
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este
Santo Domingo Este is a municipality and the provincial capital of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : San Luis.....

DR-4
DR-4
DR-4 is the fourth numbered highway of the Dominican Republic. It starts from Santo Domingo eastwards to San Pedro de Macoris and then to the north to Hato Mayor del Rey and again eastwards ending in the San Rafael del Yuma ....

Approximately 5 km
Boca Chica
Boca Chica
Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta....

-- --
San Pedro de Macoris
San Pedro de Macorís
San Pedro de Macorís is a municipality and the capital of the San Pedro de Macorís province in the Dominican Republic.-Demographics:...

DR-Route 102, DR-Local 829 70 km
La Romana DR-Route 101 110 km
San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma
San Rafael del Yuma is a municipality of approximately 17,000 people, located in the La Altagracia province of the Dominican Republic. The ruins of Juan Ponce de León's residence are located on a plateau located three kilometers from San Rafael de Yuma. The municipality is located 10 kilometers...

DR-4
DR-4
DR-4 is the fourth numbered highway of the Dominican Republic. It starts from Santo Domingo eastwards to San Pedro de Macoris and then to the north to Hato Mayor del Rey and again eastwards ending in the San Rafael del Yuma ....

--, ends here
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