Puerto Rico Highway 12

Route description

With a length of about 6.4 km, PR-12 begins at PR-14 (Avenida Tito Castro) intersection in Barrio Machuelo Abajo. PR-12 also intersects with Calle Obispado in Machuelo Abajo. Then, PR-12 enters Barrio San Antón, where meets with PR-1 (Boulevard Miguel Pou), PR-133 (Calle Comercio) and PR-163 (Avenida Las Américas) interchanges, and crosses the Río Portugués. After the river, PR-12 has an interchange with PR-2 (Ponce Bypass) between San Antón and Playa. In Barrio Playa, PR-12 has interchanges with Avenida Rafael Cordero Santiago, PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) and Avenida Caribe, with intersections with Calle Puerto Viejo and PR-123 just before its southern terminus at the Port of Ponce and La Guancha. Most of the route has three lanes per direction, except in the southern terminus, where there are two lanes in both directions.

History

PR-12, viajando hacia el Sur, al norte de la salida hacia la PR-133 (Calle Comercio), en Ponce, PR (DSC01665).jpg|Southbound lanes of PR-12, near exit to PR-133 (Calle Comercio), in Ponce PR-12, viajando hacia el Sur, al norte de la salida hacia la PR-133 (Calle Comercio), en Barrio San Antón, Ponce, PR, mostrando antiguo letrero de la PR-14.jpg|2008 PR-12 photo with old PR-14 signing Mapa de la carretera PR-12 en Ponce, Puerto Rico (M12).svg|Detailed map of PR-12

The 2.5 kilometer section of this road, from the Ponce Bypass to just a few feet from the Caribbean Sea at PR-123, was the first segment built; it was built in 1960. It was called "Avenida Malecón" (Pier Avenue), as it led from the then-urbanized area of Ponce to the Ponce wharf. The segment north of PR-12's intersection with PR-2, that is, between PR-2 and Avenida Tito Castro was built in the 1990s, and completed in 2002, as part of the Ponce en Marcha project.

PR-12 used to be signed as part of 'PR-14' before construction of the new PR-10 took place. The PR-14 signing has since been moved into another route (ending at Monumento a la abolición de la esclavitud, near downtown Ponce, while the PR-12 signing was assigned to the southernmost 5.28 kilometers of the old PR-14 route. As of 2008, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works had not yet updated the signing on the road, but by 2011 it had.

Major intersections

Letrero en la PR-12, km 0.6, viajando al norte, anunciando salida a Ave. Caribe, Bo. Playa, Ponce, PR (DSC04191B).jpg|PR-12 north at its exit to Avenida Caribe

Letrero en PR-12, viajando al norte, anunciando salida a Av. Rafael Cordero, Bo. Playa, Ponce, PR (DSC04195).jpg|PR-12 north at its exit to Avenida Rafael Cordero Santiago

Letrero en PR-12, viajando al norte, anunciando salida a Av. Las Américas, Bo. San Antón, Ponce, PR (DSC04206).jpg|PR-12 north near its exit to PR-163 (Avenida Las Américas)

Notes

References

References

1. Carmelo Rosario Natal. ''Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945–2002.'' Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 53.
2. [http://www.gis.otg.gobierno.pr/webcensus/ General Purpose Population Data, Census 2000. Unidad de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Área de Tecnología de Información Gubernamental, Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto. Gobierno de Puerto Rico.] {{webarchive. link. (12 August 2010 Retrieved March 15, 2010.)
3. [http://www.dtop.gov.pr/carretera/det_content.asp?cn_id=126 ''Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas.'' (In Spanish) Puerto Rico Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportacion (ACT). 17 November 2010.]
4. Highways and Transportation Authority. Office of Traffic Data Compilation and Analysis.. (2010). "Transito Promedio Diario". Department of Transportation and Public Works..
5. [http://www.portoftheamericas.com/about.project/phases.htm Links to Port of the Americas]
6. Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. ''Brevario sobre la Historia de Ponce.'' Published by Oficina de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2002. p. 111.
7. "PR-12".