Road to Cayo Santa María explained

Country:CUB
Carretera a Cayo Santa María
Map:Carretera Aeropuerto Santa Clara - Cayo Santa Maria.png
Map Notes:Finished road (red), under construction (orange)
Image Notes:The Courseway of Cayo Santa María
Length Km:68 completed106 total planned
Established:2000
Direction A:East
Terminus A:Abel Santamaría Airport
Direction B:West
Terminus B:Cayo Santa María
Municipalities:Santa Clara, Camajuaní, Remedios, Caibarién
Provinces:Villa Clara
Towns:Cayo Santa María
Junctions:Circuito Norte
Translation:Road to Cayo Santa Maria

The Road to Cayo Santa María is a road that was planned to go from the Abel Santamaría Airport to Cayo Santa María in order to get tourist from the airport to the hotels faster and safer. The road currently has two parts and is under construction. The first section is commonly known as the Road to the Santa Clara Airport, which goes from the airport to the Road to Camajuaní. The second section starts from the Circuito Norte, and goes east on the part known as the Cayo Santa María Courseway and continues until the middle of the Cayo Santa María.

History

In 1989, Fidel Castro states plans on making roads to connect to the provinces keys and make it a tourist area, with construction of the Causeway starting later that year. The Causeway finished paving all 48 km in 2000, becoming the longest Courseway in the world and has been awarded the Puente de Alcántara prize for the "Best Ibero-American Civil Works", for its size, structure, and engineering in an area of great economic potential and its integration into the natural landscape.[1] In 2020, Mintur, made an observation on the causeway, with it needing the readjustment of the metal road protection curbs, along more than 40km, and the repair of several connecting bridges of the viaduct. The biggest hit on the road was Hurricane Irma in 2017, causing increasing displacement of the internal components of the structure. [2]

The road from the airport was first planned to be 53 km and go directly from the airport to the Causeway, with it going south of the Road to Camajuaní and the Circuito Norte, near the towns of Bartolomé and Rojas, on the Remedios–Zulueta Road (4–641) and Carretera a Rojas.[3] The plan was supposed to be revived in 2011, with 15 km already built beforehand, they just needed the final touches for it to get approved for the economy of next year,[4] although the road is currently only under construction in the eastern intersection with the Circuito Norte, and nothing appears to be done in the west. Once finished, the whole road going from the airport to Santa María would be about 106 km.

The Santa Clara Airport section of the road was former apart of the municipalities of Cifuentes and Camajuaní before the municipalities changed its border to become fully apart of Santa Clara.

Currently, buses going from the Abel Santamaría Airport go through the 4–321 after the Airport section of the road ends, then continues straight onto the Circuito Norte to finally get onto the exit to get onto the Causeway of Cayo Santamaria, to later get into the hotels.

Route

MunicipalityLocation↓km↓DestinationNotes
Santa ClaraAbel Santamaria Airport0 Abel Santamaría AirportRoad starts at roundabout
Santa ClaraFrank País3 4–311 – Encrucijada, Santa ClaraNo official exit going east on the airport road, although it is common for people to go on the grass in the median.
Santa Clara15 4–321 – Camajuaní, Santa Clara
Camajuaní??
RemediosNearby Bartolome?
Remedios47Carretera a Rojas – Rojas, Remedios
Caibarién53Circuito NorteCaibarién, Dolores
CaibariénLas Brujas Airport91 Las Brujas Airport
CaibariénCayo Santa María Wildlife Refuge106Unnamed road – Punta AmanecerRoad to Cayo Santamaria ends at a dirt road

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Caibarien causeway, a dream come true - Covering Cuba Tourism & Travel, Food & Cuisine, Culture, Health, Business, Events . 2024-07-19 . www.cubaplusmagazine.com . en.
  2. Web site: Villa Clara: Reparan pedraplén de la Cayería Norte . Cubadebate.
  3. Web site: 2011-12-11 . Nueva carretera favorecerá desarrollo turístico de la cayería norte de Villa Clara . 2024-07-19 . CiberCuba . es.
  4. Web site: García Santos . Nelson . 2011-12-08 . Construirán carretera que conecta los cayos con Santa Clara . Juventud Rebelde.