26/10/2009

The Dominican Republic is building a highway to shorten the drive from Santo Domingo to the popular resort town of Punta Cana. President Leonel Fernandez says construction of the 45-mile (70-kilometer) highway will cost $279 million. It would together three airports.Construction of El Coral highway began Friday and is expected to take three years. The four-lane highway will have three bridges and two toll booths. It is 50 kilometers (30 miles) shorter than the existing highway.

The Brazilian company Odebrecht is overseeing the project. Fernandez says he also released $10 million to restart work on the Punta Cana boulevard that would link all hotels in the eastern coastal region.