Puerto Rico Highway 159

Route description

This highway consists of one lane in each direction for most of its length between Morovis and Toa Alta. In Morovis, PR-159 travels from its intersection with PR-155 and PR-6623 in downtown to the Corozal municipal limit, crossing through Monte Llano and Unibón barrios. In Corozal, the road serves as the main access to some neighborhoods, including Padilla, Cibuco, Dos Bocas, Barrio Pueblo, downtown Corozal, Palmarejo and Abras. Through downtown Corozal, the route was replaced by PR-891, and PR-159 makes a bypass to evade the municipal center. In Toa Alta, PR-159 crosses though Quebrada Arenas barrio until its ending at PR-165 on the Quebrada Arenas–Quebrada Cruz line.

Puerto Rico Highway 159.jpg|Signs for Puerto Rico Highway 159 east and west in Morovis

Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico - panoramio (10).jpg|Signs for PR-159 and PR-807 in Corozal barrio-pueblo

Puente de Mavilla, Corozal, Puerto Rico (2).jpg|Mavilla Bridge in Corozal

Among the most important intersections are PR-137 (Expreso Ángel "Tony" Laureano), that heads to Vega Baja; PR-142 (Expreso de Corozal), that goes to Dorado; PR-155, the main highway between Vega Baja and Orocovis; PR-160, a route between Morovis and eastern Vega Baja; PR-164, the main highway to Naranjito, and PR-165, the main road between Toa Alta and Naranjito. On this highway lies the Plaza Aquarium shopping center, located in Toa Alta, and Mavilla Bridge, a centenary bridge which is located east of Corozal.

Maintenance

The issue of who is responsible for the road maintenance in Morovis was argued in April 2019. Representative Guillermo Miranda Rivera accused the mayor of Morovis, Carmen Maldonado González, of not doing road maintenance on Morovis' roads, while she blamed the central government for the condition of state roads in Morovis.

Puerto Rico Highway 159 East.jpg|Puerto Rico Highway 159 east in Morovis Unibón (7).jpg|Bridge with Puerto Rico Highway 159 over Unibón River

Rivers crossed

Puerto Rico Highway 159 crosses the following rivers:

• Río Cibuco in Corozal
• Río Corozal in Corozal
• Río Mavilla in Corozal
• Río Unibón in Morovis

History

Puerto Rico Highway 159 is part of original segments of old Roads No. 10 and No. 20 that existed until the 1953 Puerto Rico highway renumbering, a process implemented by the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works () that increased the insular highway network to connect existing routes with different locations around Puerto Rico. Road No. 10 was the highway that led from Dorado to Coamo through Toa Alta, Corozal and Orocovis, while Road No. 20 was a route from Naranjito to Ciales across Corozal and Morovis.

Major intersections

References

References

1. (17 March 2019). "Como papa caliente responsabilidad de las carreteras en Morovis".
2. Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works. "Datos de Transito 2000-2009".
3. "PR-159".
4. InterNewsService. (April 26, 2018). "DTOP iniciará trabajos en peligrosa carretera de Corozal".
5. "NPGallery Asset Detail".
6. (1953). "Coamo, Memoria Núm. 33".
7. (1955). "Corozal, Memoria Núm. 61".
8. (1955). "Morovis, Memoria Núm. 65".
9. (1955). "Naranjito, Memoria Núm. 53".
10. (1955). "Orocovis, Memoria Núm. 47".
11. (1955). "Toa Alta, Memoria Núm. 57".
12. National Geographic Maps. (2011). "Puerto Rico". National Geographic Maps.
13. "PR-159, Corozal, Puerto Rico".
14. "Pr- 159, Morovis, Puerto Rico".
15. "PR-159, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico".
16. Luis F. Pumarada O’Neill. (1991). "Los Puentes Históricos de Puerto Rico".
17. (1929). "Revista de Obras Públicas de Puerto Rico, Febrero 1929".
18. "PR 159 over CIBUCO RIVER Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico Bridge Inspection Report".
19. "PR 159 over COROZAL RIVER Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico Bridge Inspection Report".
20. "PR 159 over MAVILLA RIVER Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico Bridge Inspection Report".
21. "PR 159 over UNIBON RIVER Morovis Municipio, Puerto Rico Bridge Inspection Report".