Puerto Rico Highway 52

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PR primary 52.svg

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
x20px PR-47 PR-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

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Municipality Location km mi Exit Destinations Notes
San Juan   0.0 0.0 0 PRI-1 / PR-1 / PR-18 north – Río Piedras, Carolina North 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)
  4 Avenida Montehiedra, Caimito, Camino Los Romero Toll on northbound on-ramp; signed as exits 4A and 4B southbound
Caguas   14 PR-1 south / PR-30 east – Caguas, Humacao Southbound exit
  15 PR-1 north – San Juan, Guaynabo, Río Cañas The exits from the northbound direction signed as 15A (North) and 15B (South).
  15A PR-1 – San Juan, Guaynabo, Río Cañas The exit from the southbound direction signed as Exit 15.
  15B PR-1 south / PR-30 east – Caguas, Humacao The 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 Este This 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, Salinas Northbound exit is accessible for PR-714.
Salinas   58 PR-1 / PR-712 – Albergue Olímpico
  60 PR-53 east – Guayama Directional T interchange; left exit southbound; western terminus of PR-53
  61 PR-53 east – Guayama Northbound exit into same interchange as exit 60
  65 PR-1 – Salinas, Camp Santiago Toll 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 Llanos Southbound 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 Portuaria Signed as exits 104A (north) and 104B (south)
  108 67 108 PRI-2 / PR-2 – Ponce Oeste, Calle Baramaya, Mayagüez, Guayanilla Southwest 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

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References