The 140-kilometer corridor linking Montevideo and Punta del Este follows Ruta Interbalnearia, a coastal highway completed in 2001 that cut travel time by nearly half. Before the expressway opened, visitors relied on Ruta 9, a two-lane inland route that wound through towns like Canelones and San Carlos, often requiring four hours or more. The new highway hugs the Atlantic shoreline for long stretches, offering glimpses of sandy beaches, pine forests planted during Uruguay's 1940s afforestation campaigns, and roadside paradores serving chivitos and medio y medio. Punta del Este sits at the confluence of the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean, a geographic pinch point that made it a natural port for colonial merchants and, later, a resort destination for Argentine and Brazilian elites. The peninsula's rise as a summer capital began in earnest during the 1950s, when architect Carlos Ott and planners laid out neighborhoods like La Barra and José Ignacio to the east. Today the city anchors Uruguay's eastern coastline, drawing half a million visitors each January while maintaining a year-round population of fewer than 15,000. The transfer route passes through Maldonado Department, where roadside stands sell dulce de leche, local cheeses, and wine from Bodega Garzón's hillside vineyards. Travelers often request stops at Casapueblo, the whitewashed cliffside complex built by artist Carlos Páez Vilaró over four decades, or at La Barra's arching bridge, a concrete ribbon completed in 1965 that became an emblem of modernist infrastructure. Private transfers allow flexibility for these detours; shared shuttles maintain fixed schedules, departing Montevideo's Tres Cruces terminal or hotel districts between 8:00 and 10:00 to maximize daylight arrival. The corridor serves business travelers bound for convention centers, families heading to summer rentals, and cruise passengers connecting from Montevideo's port. Most operators use highway-rated sedans or minivans; larger groups book sprinter vans with luggage capacity for surf gear, bicycles, or extended-stay provisions. The route remains open year-round, though winter fog off the Río de la Plata occasionally slows traffic near Atlántida and Piriápolis.