Vía Blanca (I-3) is a highway in northern Cuba, connecting the capital city of Havana and the city of Matanzas. A second section extends eastwards from Matanzas to the tourist town of Varadero and to Cárdenas. Even if it is a motorway (autopista), it is part of the national highway named "Circuito Norte" (CN).
History
The motorway, connected to the A2 (Havana Ring Road), was opened in 1960. Its construction begun in 1945 with the bridge of Bacunayagua,Cuban defenses – Via Blanca (Spanish) on the Mayabeque/Matanzas province border. This is the highest Cuban bridge and was completed in 1960.
Route Overview It is mostly a four lane highway, with some divided sections. It runs east-west for 85 km between Havana and Matanzas, crossing the town of Santa Cruz del Norte, and an additional 53 km east to Varadero, at the northern tip of Peninsula de Hicacos (the section between Matanzas and Varadero is a toll road). Most of the highway runs along the Straits of Florida shoreline. This is one of the busiest highways in Cuba, as it joins the two tourist destinations of Havana and Varadero.
Description Vía Blanca starts at the Ciudad Deportiva, on the south-western side of Havana, between Cerro and Diez de Octubre. It runs for 12 km through Luyanó and Old Havana border, the harbour area, Regla and Guanabacoa, before crossing the Vía Monumental in Habana del Este. A brief section in Luyanó includes the route of the Carretera Central highway.
The motorway-type section () starts in Havana, on a roundabout (Rotonda de Cojímar) before the Monumental, and ends north of Cárdenas. In Matanzas city center it crosses the seafront. It is a dual carriageway road, with four lanes for almost the entire route, but there are six lanes for a short section in east Havana. It has some at-grade intersections with rural roads. The exit at Varadero is the starting point of an 18-km long beltway, named Autopista Sur ("South Motorway"), that runs through the town.
The table below shows the exits of the motorway-type section of the Vía Blanca: AUTOPISTA "VÍA BLANCA"Exit↓km↓ProvinceNote Habana Redonda Cojímar 0.0 Havana A2 (Nacional) – Túnel1.2 HavanaInterchange; Via Blanca eastbound exit only to A2 southbound; signed as "heavy equipment over 3500 kg" on eastbound exit Habana Alamar 3.3 Havana Habana Bacuranao-Celimar 7.0 Havana Habana Tarará 10.7 Havana Habana Mégano 11.6 Havana Habana Santa María del Mar 12.4 Havana Rest area "Guanabo" 16.9 Mayabeque Habana Guanabo 17.0 Havana Rest area18.0Havana Habana Peñas Altas-Veneciana19.6 Havana Habana Brisas del Mar 20.5 Havana Playa del Muerto26.2 Mayabeque Boca de Jaruco 31.4 Mayabeque Termoeléctrica de Santa Cruz39.2 Mayabeque Santa Cruz del Norte 41.5 Mayabeque Rest area "Servicentro Vía Blanca" 42.7 Mayabeque Santa Cruz del Norte-Jaruco 42.8 Mayabeque El Fraile 47.5 Mayabeque Playa Jibacoa 50.3 Mayabeque Concuní 52.5 Mayabeque Rest area "Quiosco Guarapiña Gil Alberto"56.5 Mayabeque Arcos de Canasí-Puerto Libre 57.8 Mayabeque Batey San Juan 60.3 Mayabeque Puerto Escondido 64.2 Mayabeque Bacunayagua 66.7Mayabeque Mirador de Bacunayagua69.1Mayabeque Puente de Bacunayagua 69.2MayabequeMatanzas Bacunayagua Este 71.8MatanzasNote: the village is in Mayabeque Province, the exit in Matanzas' one Rincón Moderno 74.9Matanzas Rest area "Restaurante La Criolla"77.9 Matanzas Valle del Yumurí83.4 Matanzas Matanzas Puerto 87.0 Matanzas Matanzas Versalles 88.2 Matanzas Matanzas Centro 89.1 Matanzas Matanzas La Playa 90.6 Matanzas Matanzas Calle 129-Cuevas de Bellamar 91.6 Matanzas Matanzas Peñas Altas 93.5 Matanzas Matanzas Reynold García 95.7 Matanzas Matanzas Universidad 97.0 Matanzas Canímar 97.8 Matanzas Puente de Canímar 98.1Matanzas San Felipe 98.3Matanzas Escuela Militar Camilo Cienfuegos39.2 Matanzas El Mamey 99.5Matanzas Carbonera-Aeropuerto J.G.Gómez(106.0Matanzas Boca de Camarioca-Camarioca 115.0Matanzas Boca de Camarioca 116.0Matanzas Julián Alemán 118.0Matanzas Toll plaza 118.5Matanzas Varadero-Playa Caleta 121.0Matanzas Varadero124.0Matanzas Santa Marta 125.0Matanzas Santa Marta Parque Industrial 127.0Matanzas Guásimas-Humberto Álvarez 129.0Matanzas Cárdenas Cementerio 135.0Matanzas Cárdenas Brisas del Mar136.0Matanzas Cárdenas Centro 138.0Matanzas Vía Blanca – Varadero City Beltway (Autopista Sur)Exit↓km↓ProvinceNote Varadero–Vía Blanca 0.0Matanzas Varadero Oeste 0.5Matanzas Varadero Calle 17-Isla del Sur 1.0Matanzas Varadero Calle 24 1.5Matanzas Varadero Calle 30 2.0Matanzas Varadero Calle 36-Terminal de Ómnibus 2.5Matanzas Varadero Parque Central 3.3Matanzas Varadero Parque Josone 4.1Matanzas Varadero Avenida Primera 5.0Matanzas Varadero Calle K 6.6Matanzas Varadero Golf Club 8.6Matanzas Varadero Plaza America 9.2Matanzas Varadero Sol Elite Palmeras 10.0Matanzas Varadero Bella Vista 10.6Matanzas Varadero Ocean Vista 10.9Matanzas Varadero Naviti Beach Club 11.1Matanzas Varadero Arena Doradas/British Caribe 12.1Matanzas Varadero Muthu Playa/Turquesa 12.5Matanzas Varadero Delfinarium 13.1Matanzas Varadero Camino Milián 13.6Matanzas Varadero Aguas Azules 14.0Matanzas Varadero Hicacos 14.3Matanzas Varadero Varahicacos 15.6Matanzas Varadero Memories 16.5Matanzas Varadero Meliá Península 17.1Matanzas Varadero Meliá Marina 18.0Matanzas
See also
Roads in Cuba Carretera Central Transport in Cuba Infrastructure of Cuba
References
External links
Guije.com: Vía Blanca on guije.com — (with photos)