Puerto_Rico_Highway_22

Puerto Rico Highway 22

Puerto Rico Highway 22

Highway in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Highway 22 (PR-22), also part of unsigned Interstate PR2, is an 84.3 km (52.4 mi)[3] long toll road on the north coast of Puerto Rico that connects the cities of San Juan and Hatillo. The road is also known as the José de Diego Expressway (Spanish: Expreso José de Diego), and is part of unsigned Interstate PR-2. It is a 4-lane road for much of its length, but expands to up to 12 lanes in the San Juan metro area. The road is frequently congested, in particular during rush hour due to heavy commuter traffic.

Quick Facts Highway 22, Route information ...

Route description

PR-22 is Puerto Rico's most traveled highway.[4] PR-22 runs parallel to PR-2 and is concurrent with unsigned Interstate Highway PRI-2. Unlike PR-22, PR-2 is not a controlled-access road, and has numerous traffic signals throughout the full run of its course. The construction of highway PR-22 reduced congestion on PR-2. The eastern terminus is at PR-26 (a non-tolled freeway) in Santurce, and passes through the Minillas Tunnel before its terminus at PR-26. The freeway bypasses all of the cities PR-2 passes through (see below under "Course of the Expressway"). PR-22's western terminus is at PR-2 in Hatillo. From there, PR-2 continues to Aguadilla and Mayagüez, ending in Ponce.

  • PR-22 begins in San Juan through Minillas Tunnel
  • PR-22 enters the city of San Juan. The San Juan skyline is visible in the background

Municipalities served

The following is the list of municipalities/towns which PR-22 cuts through, in order from San Juan to Hatillo (westbound):

Express lanes

In 2013, the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority and Metropistas inaugurated express lanes with dynamic tolling (DTL) between Bayamón and Toa Baja to help alleviate traffic congestion during peak hours. These reversible lanes extends from Río Hondo to the Toa Baja Toll Plaza with a variable rate between $1.75 and $4.95 dollars per direction.[5] The speed limit on the nearly 12-kilometer route ranges between 50 and 55 miles per hour (80-90 km/h). It is expected that in the long term the lanes will be extended near Vega Alta.[6]

History

Construction of this road began in 1969. The section from San Juan to Toa Baja opened in 1969 and in 1997 to Arecibo.[7] Construction of the road was partially funded from appropriations of the U.S. Interstate Highway System.[8]

Privatization

In 2011, the Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico (Metropistas) consortium, comprised by Abertis Infraestructuras and Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners II LP, placed the winning bid for the 40-year PR-22 and PR-5 highway concession. The highways generate between $90 million and $95 million annually in toll revenue, which will now go to the private operators.[9]

Future

Puerto Rico Highway 22 by municipality
Heading west in Dorado
Heading east in Vega Alta
Heading east in Vega Baja
Heading west in Arecibo
Buchanan Toll Plaza

PR-22 is planned to be extended to Aguadilla.[10] The extension will be built as part of a public–private partnership, who will maintain and operate PR-22 for the next 40 years.

Services

Logo signs

In 2021, Metropistas began installing logo signs at exits advertising available food, gas, lodging, camping, and attractions available at exits via a contract with SunColors. As of January 2022 such signs have been installed at Exit 13 in Bayamón, and Exit 48 in Manatí.[citation needed]

Tolls

PR-22 is maintained by a system of tolls managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works.[11] All of its toll plazas have express lanes. After June 17, 2017, the seven tolls plaza of the PR-22 will become bidirectional.

More information Location, Toll ...

Originally, PR-22 had only five toll plazas (Fort Buchanan, Toa Baja, Vega Alta, Factor ramp, and Hatillo); the Manatí and Arecibo toll plazas were added in the early 1990s.

The future segment from Hatillo to Aguadilla is expected to have four additional toll plazas;[13] however, it remains to be seen whether they will be one way or two way.

As of 2014–2015, plans are underway to implement Open road tolling (ORT) and currently on many stretches of PR-22; Cash is no longer accepted to pay tolls with the exception of replenishing the toll tag.

On June 17, 2017 the new two-way collection rates came into effect by AutoExpreso in PR-22 and PR-5.

Exit list

  • PR-22 east approaching exits 7A-B to PR-165 in Guaynabo
  • PR-22 east at exit 13 to PR-167 in Bayamón
  • PR-22 east at exit 57 to PR-140 in Barceloneta
  • PR-22 east approaching exits 75A-B to PR-10 in Arecibo
More information Municipality, Location ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Google (27 February 2020). "PR-22" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  2. [2]
    Historia. Departamento de Transportacion y Obras Publicas de Puerto Rico. Archived on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. [3]
    Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas. (In Spanish) Puerto Rico Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportacion (ACT).
  4. [4]
    Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority. Presentation by Rubén Hernández Gregorat, Executive Director, PRHTA. February 26, 2010. At the Puerto Rico Credit Conference 2010. February 23–24, 2010.
  5. [5]
    García, Luisa (11 August 2013). "Abren carriles de peaje dinámico en la PR-22". Sin Comillas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. [6]
    "Metropistas extenderá carril dinámico en la PR-22 para aliviar enorme tapón en Toa Baja". Primera Hora (in Spanish). 9 November 2022. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. [7]
    Legends of Puerto Rico. Archived 2010-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  8. [8]
    U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Additional Designations. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
  9. [9]
    Abertis-Goldman Sachs group wins highways deal with $1.08 billion bid Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
  10. [10]
    Goldman Sachs, Abertis close on 40 year $1,136m concession of Puerto Rico's PR22 & PR5 tollroads Archived 2011-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
  11. [11]
    Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works
  12. [12]
    "Mapas y Tarifas". Metropistas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  13. [13]
    DTOP
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