Puerto Rico Highway 1

Route description

PR-1 starts in Ponce and ends in San Juan. The route connects important cities such as Salinas, Cayey, and Caguas.

In Ponce, PR-1 intersects PR-2 and PR-52. One of the major roads in Ponce that PR-1 does not intersect is PR-10, which is accessible via an alternate route (PR-5506) through Mercedita Airport. A sign on PR-1 alerts drivers on where to get off to access PR-10.

PR-1 passes through a small portion of the central town of Cidra, merely off the border with Cayey; the exit from PR-52 to Guavate is less than 1 hectometer from the town, and going north all structures and buildings off the road on the right are in Cayey, while the road itself and everything on the left is in Cidra until it enters Caguas just passing the junction with PR-787, which connects PR-1 to the rest of Cidra. This means that Cidra can be reached quickly from the main tollway (PR-52) via Exit 32 to Guavate.

PR-1 is an undivided two-lane road, with some exceptions. In Ponce, it is a six-lane divided highway in its intersection with PR-578 and PR-2 in Sabanetas. There is a short segment in Cayey where PR-1 is also a divided highway. It becomes a divided road once again from Caguas to San Juan at a sector known as "La Muda".

PR-1 is roughly parallel to PR-52 throughout its entire length. Prior to PR-52's inauguration, PR-1 was the route of choice from traveling between Ponce and San Juan.

Bulevar Miguel Pou, mirando hacia el oeste, en Barrio San Anton, Ponce, PR (20181230 074625).jpg|PR-1 west in Ponce, heading towards downtown Ponce

PR-1 Muda.jpg|PR-1 heading south from San Juan to Caguas, near La Muda

Signing

PR-1 is signed "PR-1 East" in the segment that travels from Ponce to Salinas, and then signed "PR-1 North" in the segment that travels from Salinas to San Juan. Likewise, the road is signed "PR-1 South" in the segment that travels from San Juan to Salinas and then signed "PR-1 West" in the segment that travels from Salinas to Ponce.

History

Construction of what became PR-1 began with the building of the Carretera Central, started during the governorship of Miguel de la Torre (1822–1837). A small section from San Juan to Río Piedras was then started. The Carretera Central proceeds south to Cayey along the route of the PR-1, then diverges, and was completed in 1887, taking over 50 years to complete. The Road was also known as La Carretera Militar (The Military Road). The modern PR-1 was opened on 10 March 1907.

Major intersections

Letrero en PR-1 viajando al este, anunciando entrada a PR-578, Bo. Sabanetas, Ponce, Puerto Rico (DSC04419).jpg|PR-1 east at Avenida Los Caobos junction, a connector to PR-578 between Bucaná and Vayas barrios, Ponce

Autopista PR-52, salida hacia la carretera PR-1, Caguas, Puerto Rico (1).jpg|PR-52 south at exit 23 to PR-1 in Turabo, Caguas

Expreso PR-1, San Juan, Puerto Rico (1).jpg|Entrance ramp to PR-1 south in Santurce, San Juan

References

References

1. [https://books.google.com/books?id=6WUzAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA326 ''Historia de Puerto Rico.''] Paul Gerard Miller. Capitulo XX. Desarrollo Económico Durante el Siglo XIX. p. 326. New York: Rand McNally. 1922. Retrieved 3 November 2021. [https://web.archive.org/web/20211104040026/https://books.google.com/books?id=6WUzAQAAIAAJ&hl=en Archived.]
2. Historia de la capital de Puerto Rico by Francisco M. Zeno, pg. 95
3. [http://www.elnuevodia.com/fotodetalle-desanjuanacayeyencarropublico-1712298.html ''De San Juan a Cayey en carro público.''] Toñito Zayas. El Nuevo Día. 15 February 2014. Photo Number 6. Photo Caption. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
4. Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works. "Datos de Transito 2000-2009".
5. "PR-1 north".
6. "PR-1 south".
7. Luis F. Pumarada O’Neill. (1991). "Los Puentes Históricos de Puerto Rico".