RN-21_(Boulevard_Diego_Holguin)
RN-21 (El Salvador highway)
Highway in El Salvador
The east–west Santa Tecla Freeway, RN-21, is the very first freeway to be built in El Salvador. The freeway passes the northern area of the city of Santa Tecla, La Libertad. It has a small portion serving Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad, and merges with the RN-5 (east–west, Boulevard de Los Próceres/Autopista del Aeropuerto) in San Salvador. The total span of the RN-21 is 9.35 kilometres (5.81 mi) and is currently working as a traffic reliever in the metropolitan area.
Initially, the (Santa Tecla Freeway) RN-21 was going to be named "Boulevard Diego de Holguín" in honor of the first mayor of San Salvador, Diego de Holguín. It was finally named "Bulevar Monseñor Romero", though with much disagreement; the name is still in dispute, due to its political motives by El Salvador's former president Mauricio Funes of the FMLN party who also changed the name of El Salvador's international airport, historically known as Comalapa, to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez for political purposes and to gain votes for the FMLN.[1]
The first phase of the highway was completed in 2009, and the second phase was completed in November 2012.[2] The expressway also contains a bicycle lane.