Santa Clara Beltway

Circunvalación de Santa Clara
Beltway of Santa Clara
Santa Clara Beltway seen in blue, with where each major junction leads to
Santa Clara Beltway seen in Virginia
Major junctions
Beltway around Santa Clara, Cuba
Major intersections	A1–1 CC (west, to Esperanza) 4–221 4–311 4–321 CC (east, to Placetas) 4–474
Location
Country	Cuba
Provinces	Villa Clara
Municipalities	Santa Clara
Highway system
Roads in Cuba

The Santa Clara Beltway is a ring road encircling the city of Santa Clara, Cuba. The road is 2 lanes on both sides, with a central divider in the middle. It is commonly known as simply the Circunvalación de Santa Clara (Santa Clara Beltway), although officially its split into the Circunvalación Norte and Circunvalación Sur (North Beltway and South Beltway).

History

• 
  Avenida Circunvalación seen December 1959

After the Cuban Revolution, the beltway was created, along with other roads being made, including making the Avenida 26 de Julio into a 2 lane road on both sides, and later, making access to the Autopista Nacional, by the Autopista Santa Clara.[1]

Safety

In 2015, both the Circunvalación Norte and Circunvalación Sur were considered two of the 22 dangerous sections in Villa Clara Province, with the Circunvalación Norte having 14 accidents, two deaths, and 17 people injured, and the Circunvalación Sur having 9 accidents and 6 people injured.[2]

In 2019, the section of the road coming in between the roundabouts of Santa Clara–Sagua Road and the Carretera de Maleza was inspected, and was found to be in need of minor fixes, including fissures and low severity cracks, along with not enough road signs along the section of the road.[3]

In 2022, a cyclist died on the road due to a resident in a Peugeot speeding at an estimate 130–150 km (81–93 miles) per hour.[4] Later the same year, a car fell roof first into the Belico River bridge due to a technical failure of the vehicle, with two people inside only one person fainted and the other seemed to be fine.[5]

During tourist seasons, it is known for the road, and the region in general, to be more unsafe, with an accident happening in summer 2024, at the roundabout with the Carretera Central, to Esperanza, in front of the 12 plantas building in Santa Clara.[6][7]

Route

Junction of the beltway and Santa Clara–Caibarién Road sign, seen from Avenida Liberacion

Junction of Avenida Abel Santamaria and the beltway

Municipality	Ward	km	mi	Destination	Notes
Santa Clara	Condado Sur			A1–1 / Avenida 9 de Abril (Calle San Miguel) / To A1 – Havana
	Virginia			Avenida de los Desfiles
				Carretera Los Caneyes / Prolongacion Marta Abreu
				Calle Oquendo
	Virginia / Jose Marti			Avenida Abel Santamaria / Calle Oria
				4–N–1 (Carretera Central) – Antón Díaz, Esperanza, Varadero, Matanzas
				Carretera de la Planta Mecánica / Subplanta
	Aeropuerto			4–221 (Carretera de Sagua) / Avenida Eduardo Chibas – Cifuentes, Sagua La Grande
				Calle Guamajal – Guamajal
				4–311 (Carretera de Malezas) – Abel Santamaría Airport,Encrucijada, Calabazar de Sagua
	Capiro - Santa Catalina			4–321 (Carretera a Camajuaní) / Avenida Liberacion – Cayo Santa María
	Sandino			Linea
				4–N–1 (Carretera Central)  – Placetas
	Escambray			Carretera del Guacalote
				Carretera del Acueducto / Prolongación de Colón – Boquerones, Rebacadero
				4–474 (Carretera a Manicaragua) / Paseo de la Paz  – Mataguá, Manicaragua, Fomento, Trinidad

References

1. "Memoria Viva. Etapa revolucionaria". Telecubanacán (in Spanish). 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
2. Villaverde Feut, Darian; García Depestre, Dr. C.T. René A. (2017). "Diagnóstico de la gestión de la seguridad vial en la provincia de Villa Clara". Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas. Santa Clara, Cuba.
3. "Inspección de la Seguridad Vial en la Carretera Circunvalación de Santa Clara tramo: Carretera Maleza - Carretera Sagua". IV International Scientific Convention UCLV 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
4. "Ciclista muere impactado por un Peugeot en circunvalación de Santa Clara". CiberCuba (in Spanish). 2022-03-23. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
5. "Aparatoso accidente de tránsito en Cuba: Un carro cae por un puente en la circunvalación de Santa Clara". Cubita Now (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-27.
6. "Santa Clara: Fuerte choque entre un Almendrón y un Peugeot en la circunvalación". CiberCuba (in Spanish). 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
7. "Accidente de tránsito en Santa Clara". Cubita Now (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-28.