Vía Monumental

The Vía Monumental is a six-lane expressway, with three lanes on each side. It connects the Malecón with Habana del Este in Havana, Cuba.

History

The Vía Monumental, at the time known as the Avenida Monumental, was officially known as Highway 2–19, around the 1960s.

It has six lanes, with lanes, and a central divider. The speed limit on most sections is.

During the 1950s, the towns in eastern Havana weren't connected to the main city. There was no adequate road to pass near there. The Vía Blanca had just been built, which connected Havana and the tourist center of Varadero with Matanzas, Guanabacoa, Regla, Diez de Octubre, Marianao and San Miguel del Padrón. One of the first ideas to build a road was to cross the Bay of Havana. Two proposals were made: a bridge and a tunnel. For the bridge it was a problem, because if a hurricane occurred the bridge would likely collapse. Then a tunnel, instead, would be a better option, 12 meters below sea level, allowing any ship to cross the entrance channel. Since 1954, construction of this road began, which passed through Casablanca, the Reparto Camilo Cienfuegos, the Villa Panamericana, Cojímar and Berroa.

This road has bordering the entire east of Havana, where it is part of the Circuito Norte from the tunnel to the intersection with Vía Blanca, in Berroa.