Puerto Rico Highway 52

Highway 52
PRI-1
Autopista Luis A. Ferre Expressway
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico Dept. of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP)
Length: 67 mi (108 km)
Existed: 1969, 1975, 1996 – present
Major junctions
North end: PRI-1 / PR-18 / PR-1 in Río Piedras
 

PR-177 in San Juan
PR-199 in San Juan
Avenida Montehiedra in San Juan
PR-30 / PR-1 / PR-1 / PR-1 in Caguas
PR-34 / PR-196 in Downtown Caguas
PR-156 in Downtown Caguas
PR-34 in Downtown Caguas
PR-172 in Central Caguas
PR-1 in South Caguas
PR-184 in Guavate, Cayey
PR-1 in Cayey
PR-1 in Salinas
PR-53 in Salinas
PR-1 / PR-1 in Salinas
PR-153 in Santa Isabel
PR-545 in Santa Isabel
PR-536 in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico
PR-149 in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico
PR-506 in Coto Laurel
PR-10 in Mercedita
PR-1 in Sabanetas

PR-12 in Playa
South end: PRI-2 / PR-2 / PR-2 in Ponce
Highway system

Puerto Rico Highways

PR-47PR-53

The Puerto Rico Highway 52 (PR-52) is a major toll road in Puerto Rico today known also as the Autopista Luis A. Ferré, it was formerly known as Expreso Las Americas. It runs from PR-1 in southwest Río Piedras and heads south until it intersects with highway PR-2 in Ponce. At its north end, the short PR-18 continues north from PR-52 towards San Juan. This short segment is known as Expreso Las Americas, the only segment of the route still unofficially bearing this name, since PR-18 is officially named Roberto Sánchez Vilella Expressway. The combined route of PR-18 and PR-52 is concurrent with the unsigned Interstate Highway PRI-1. PR-52 is a toll road. Toll stations are located in Caguas, Salinas, Juana Díaz, and Ponce.

Route description

PR-52 is Puerto Rico's longest and second most traveled tollway. The road is mostly a 2-lane road in each direction. The section between the Caguas toll and the town of Salinas goes across the Cordillera Central, resulting in a more curvy and hilly section than the other sections of the highway. It also experiences more fog and lower visibility than the rest of the road due to the altitude. The speed limit is also reduced in the area.

One of Puerto Rico's only 2 rest areas is located on this expressway. map The another rest area is located on PR-53 (northbound only) near Humacao/Naguabo municipality border although it is signed as a scenic zone and thus just like the rest area on PR-52, it has no facilities. map The rest area, however, has no relief, vending, or service facilities such as a restaurant or a gas station. The rest area does include an important monument, the Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño. The whimsical Tetas de Cayey are visible from this rest area as well.

PR-52 passes extremely close to the central town of Cidra between approximately kilometer markers 34 and 30. In fact, Exit 32 to Guavate is so close to the Cidra border that once the exit is taken and instead of going south to Guavate and Patillas through PR-184, going north it quickly ends at PR-1 and a welcome sign to Cidra is shown. The tollway itself never enters Cidra itself, but PR-1 (the parallel road from Ponce to San Juan) does.

History

The building of this 108-kilometre (67 mi)[1] expressway took place during the administration of governor Luis A. Ferré, who was trained as a civil engineer himself. [2][3] It was built at a cost of $125 million.[4] PR-52 was Puerto Rico's first toll road ever. Construction for this road started in October 1968 during the administration of governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella, also a trained engineer, and continued during Luis Ferre's tenure. It was then named Autopista Las Americas, and it was planned to run from San Juan to Ponce.[5] On December 9, 1993, Law 118 was enacted which renamed the roadway Autopista Luis A. Ferre.[5] The expressway is currently the longest in the island, but this will change when the 83-km-long PR-22 extends to Aguadilla. In March 1969 the roadway became a tolled expressway. The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority reports that tolls were added to the highway to speed up its construction.[5] The road was completed in 1975 during the first administration of governor Rafael Hernández Colón.[6]

Photos

PR-52 near Santa Isabel 
PR-52 near Cayey and Salinas 

Exit list

MunicipalityLocationkmmiExitDestinationsNotes
San Juan 0.00.00 PRI-1 / PR-1 / PR-18 north Río Piedras, CarolinaNorth end of PR-52. No northbound access to PR-1 south; PRI-1 continues northbound via PR-18.
 1 PR-177 (Avenida Lomas Verdes, Bayamón, Cupey)Southbound exits signed as 1A (west) and 1B (east)
 2 PR-199 (Avenida Las Cumbres, Guaynabo)
 4Avenida Montehiedra, Caimito, Camino Los RomeroToll on northbound on-ramp; signed as exits 4A and 4B southbound
Caguas 14 PR-1 south / PR-30 east Caguas, HumacaoSouthbound exit
 15 PR-1 north San Juan, Guaynabo, Río CañasThe exits from the northbound direction signed as 15A (North) and 15B (South).
 15A PR-1 San Juan, Guaynabo, Río CañasThe exit from the southbound direction signed as Exit 15.
 15B PR-1 south / PR-30 east Caguas, HumacaoThe exit from the southbound direction signed as Exit 14.
 18 PR-196 (Avenida Garrido, Aguas Buenas)
 19 PR-156 Aguas Buenas, Caguas
 20 PR-34 (Calle Degetau)
 21 PR-172 – Caguas Sur, Cidra, Certenejas
 23 PR-1 – Caguas Sur, Borinquen
Cayey 32 PR-184 Cidra, Guavate, Cayey EsteThis exit is just a few feet away from the border of Cidra and Cayey
 39 PR-1 Cayey, Aibonito, Cidra, Jajome
 Rest Area PR-714 Cayey, SalinasNorthbound exit is accessible for PR-714.
Salinas 58 PR-1 / PR-712 Albergue Olímpico
 60 PR-53 east GuayamaDirectional T interchange; left exit southbound; western terminus of PR-53
 61 PR-53 east GuayamaNorthbound exit into same interchange as exit 60
 65 PR-1 Salinas, Campamento SantiagoToll on northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp
Santa Isabel 76 PR-153 Santa Isabel, Coamo
 77 PR-545 – Gabia
 80 PR-536 – Descalabrado, Los LlanosSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
Juana Díaz 91 PR-149 Juana Díaz, Villalba, Fort Allen
Ponce 95 PR-506 Coto Laurel
 98 PR-10 (Ponce Norte, Adjuntas, Aeropuerto)Signed as exits 98A (north) and 98B (south)
 99 PR-1 (Ponce Centro, Mercedita)Signed as exits 99A (west) and 99B (east)
 104 PR-12 Ponce Centro, Avenida R. Cordero, Plaza del Caribe, Ponce Playa, Zona PortuariaSigned as exits 104A (north) and 104B (south)
 10867108 PRI-2 / PR-2 Ponce Oeste, Calle Baramaya, Mayagüez, GuayanillaSouthwest end of Interstate PR1 and PR-52. Splits into PR-2
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Route map: Bing / Google

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.