The direct highway linking Santo Domingo and Samana opened to the public on Sunday June 1st. The 106km highway goes from Km. 20 on Las Americas Expressway (between Santo Domingo and Las Americas International Airport) to Cruce Rincon de Molinillo in the province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez, a short distance from Samana International Airport and about half an hour from Samana City. The new route will put booming Samana beach town Las Terrenas at just two hours from Santo Domingo. The shortcut costs RD$325 in tolls, but savings in fuel and time more than make up for the additional expense. The Ministry of Public Works says that the highway has cost US$150 million. It passes near Monte Plata, Bayaguana and the Los Haitises National Park, opening up many of these areas and their rivers and waterfalls for future adventure tourism-style development