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-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 other 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

The Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño and Las Tetas de Cayey.

PR-52 near Santa Isabel

PR-52 near Cayey and Salinas

Exit list

Municipality	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)	The direct exit to Las Catalinas Mall.
			19	PR-156 – Aguas Buenas, Caguas
			20	PR-34 (Calle Degetau)
			21	PR-172 – Caguas Sur, Cidra, Certenejas	The direct exit to Menonita Caguas Regional Hospital and Plaza del Carmen Mall
			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; The left southbound exit into the southwestern terminus of PR-53
			61	PR-53 east – Guayama	The northbound exit into the southwestern terminus of PR-53.
			65	PR-1 – Salinas, Campamento Santiago	Toll on eastbound off-ramp and westbound on-ramp
Santa Isabel			76	PR-153 – Santa Isabel, Coamo
			77	PR-545 – Gabia
			80	PR-536 – Descalabrado, Los Llanos	Westbound exit and eastbound 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

References

↑ Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas. (In Spanish) Puerto Rico Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportacion (ACT).
↑ Ian James. "Former Puerto Rican Gov. Luis A Ferre dies." The Miami Herald. October 22. 2003
↑ Guía de Carreteras Principales
↑ Historia de las Carreteras de Puerto Rico. Primera Hora. March 13, 2006.
1 2 3 Historia Government of Puerto Rico. Highway and Transportation Authority
↑ Legends of Puerto Rico

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