Puerto Rico Highway 1

Not to be confused with Interstate PR1, the unsigned Interstate Highway in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Highway 1 (PR-1) is a highway in Puerto Rico that connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road heads east and follows a somewhat parallel route along the southern coast of the island heading towards Salinas. At Salinas, the road turns north to cut through the Cordillera Central in its approach to San Juan. Before reaching San Juan, it climbs to make its way to the mountain town of Cayey and then it winds down into the city of Caguas on its final approach to San Juan.^[3]

Highway 1
Ruta 1
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW
Length	128.1 km[1][2] (79.6 mi)
Major junctions
South end	PR-123 in Primero–Segundo
Major intersections	PR-2 / PR-133 in San Antón PR-52 in Vayas PR-3 in Salinas barrio-pueblo PR-52 in Lapa PR-30 / PR-52 in Bairoa PR-18 / PR-52 in Monacillo Urbano PR-3 in Hato Rey Sur PR-17 in Hato Rey Sur PR-22 in Santurce PR-16 / PR-25 / PR-26 in Santurce
North end	Calle Tanca in San Juan Antiguo
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Puerto Rico
Municipalities	Ponce, Juana Díaz, Santa Isabel, Salinas, Aibonito, Cayey, Cidra, Caguas, Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo, San Juan
Highway system
Roads in Puerto Rico List
← PR-9189 → PR-2

Route description

Map of the southern terminus of PR-1 in the municipality of Ponce

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.

• 
  PR-1 west in Ponce, heading towards downtown Ponce
• 
  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).^[4] A small section from San Juan to Río Piedras was then started.^[5] 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.^[4] The Road was also known as La Carretera Militar (The Military Road).^[4] The modern PR-1 was opened on 10 March 1907.^[6]

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

• 
  PR-1 east at Avenida Los Caobos junction, a connector to PR-578 between Bucaná and Vayas barrios, Ponce
• 
  PR-52 south at exit 23 to PR-1 in Turabo, Caguas
• 
  Entrance ramp to PR-1 south in Santurce, San Juan

Municipality	Location	km[1][2]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Ponce	Primero–Segundo line	128.1	79.6	PR-123 south (Calle Villa) – Ponce	Southern terminus of PR-1; one-way street; northbound access via Calle Reina Isabel
	Segundo	127.7	79.3	PR-14R (Calle Unión) – Ponce	One-way street
	Tercero–Quinto line	127.3	79.1	PR-14 north (Calle Salud) – Juana Díaz	One-way street
	Tercero	127.0– 126.9	78.9– 78.9	PR-1P east (Calle Cristina) – Ponce	One-way street; PR-1P eastbound access via Calle Montaner
	Río Portugués	126.9	78.9	Puente de los Leones
	San Antón	126.4	78.5	PR-12 south (Avenida Santiago de los Caballeros) – Playa	Incomplete diamond interchange; southbound exit and entrance
		125.3– 125.2	77.9– 77.8	PR-2 west (Ponce Bypass) / PR-133 north (Avenida Ednita Nazario) – Ponce, Peñuelas, Mayagüez
	Vayas	123.8	76.9	PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – Juana Díaz, San Juan, Mayagüez	PR-52 exits 101A and 101B; cloverleaf interchange
	Vayas–Sabanetas line	122.6	76.2	PR-5506 north – Aeropuerto Mercedita
Juana Díaz	Río Jacaguas	117.9– 117.8	73.3– 73.2	Puente Juan Ponce de León[7]
	Capitanejo–Cintrona line	114.3	71.0	PR-149 – Juana Díaz
Santa Isabel	Boca Velázquez	104.7– 104.6	65.1– 65.0	PR-161 east (Desvío Norte Luis Muñoz Marín) – San Juan, Salinas, Coamo
	Santa Isabel barrio-pueblo	102.9	63.9	PR-153 north (Calle Eugenio María de Hostos) – Coamo	One-way street
	Felicia 1	102.0	63.4	PR-161 west (Desvío Norte Luis Muñoz Marín) – Ponce
Salinas	Río Nigua	91.4– 91.3	56.8– 56.7	Puente de los Poleos[7]
	Salinas barrio-pueblo	90.8	56.4	PR-3 east (Calle Doctor Santos P. Amadeo) – Guayama
		89.8	55.8	PR-180 (Avenida Pedro Albizu Campos) – Guayama
	Lapa	89.2	55.4	PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – Ponce, San Juan	PR-52 exit 65
Aibonito	No major junctions
Salinas	No major junctions
Aibonito	Cuyón	69.1	42.9	PR-162 – Aibonito
Cayey	Pedro Avila–Pasto Viejo line	66.0	41.0	PR-7722 west (Ruta Panorámica) – Aibonito	Southern terminus of the Ruta Panorámica concurrency
	Sumido–Matón Arriba line	61.1	38.0	PR-715 (Ruta Panorámica) – Cercadillo	Northern terminus of the Ruta Panorámica concurrency; the Ruta Panorámica continues toward Guayama
	Matón Arriba	60.3	37.5	PR-206 north to PR-170 (Avenida Roberto Díaz) – Cayey, Aibonito	Seagull intersection
	Quebrada Arriba–Monte Llano– Cayey barrio-pueblo tripoint	58.4	36.3	PR-15 – Cayey, Guayama
	Monte Llano–Cayey barrio-pueblo line	56.7– 56.6	35.2– 35.2	PR-7715 south to PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – San Juan, Ponce	PR-52 exit 39; roundabout
		55.5	34.5	PR-14 west (Carretera Central) – Cayey	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward Aibonito
		55.3	34.4	PR-735 north (Carretera Central) – Cidra	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; seagull intersection
	Vegas	53.6	33.3	PR-735 west (Carretera Central) – Cidra	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency
Cidra	Beatriz	50.4	31.3	PR-184 south – Patillas, Guavate
Caguas	Quebrada Las Quebradillas	41.0	25.5	Puente Las Quebradillas[7]
	Turabo	37.5	23.3	PR-32 (Avenida Luis Muñoz Marín) – Cidra, San Lorenzo
	Caguas barrio-pueblo	36.9– 36.8	22.9– 22.9	PR-172 west (Avenida Pino) – Cidra
		36.5	22.7	PR-34 (Avenida Federico Degetau) – San Juan, San Lorenzo
		35.9	22.3	PR-33 (Avenida José Mercado) – Aguas Buenas, San Lorenzo
		35.3	21.9	PR-183 east (Calle Eduardo Georgetti) – San Lorenzo	One-way street
		35.0	21.7	PR-156 west (Calle Ramón Emeterio Betances) – Aguas Buenas	One-way street; westbound access via Calle Segundo Ruiz Belvis
		34.5– 34.4	21.4– 21.4	PR-33 west (Avenida José Mercado) / PR-189 east (Avenida José Villares) – Aguas Buenas, Gurabo
		34.0– 33.9	21.1– 21.1	PR-196 west (Avenida Garrido) – Aguas Buenas
		33.3– 33.2	20.7– 20.6	PR-32 east (Avenida Luis Muñoz Marín) – Gurabo
	Bairoa	32.2	20.0	PR-30 east (Expreso Cruz Ortiz Stella) – Gurabo, Humacao	Trumpet interchange
		31.6	19.6	PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Cayey, Ponce	PR-52 exits 14, 15, 15A and 15B; partial cloverleaf interchange
		30.5	19.0	PR-798 (Carretera Central) – Río Cañas	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward Guaynabo
	Río Cañas	28.9	18.0	PR-798 (Carretera Central) – Río Cañas	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; one-way street; southbound access at km 29.3; the Carretera Central continues toward Caguas
		28.5	17.7	PR-798 (Carretera Central) – Río Cañas	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward Guaynabo
		27.9	17.3	PR-175 – Trujillo Alto, Carraízo
		26.1	16.2	PR-797 west to PR-798 (Carretera Central) – Aguas Buenas
Aguas Buenas	No major junctions
San Juan	Quebrada Arenas	25.9	16.1	PR-798 (Carretera Central) – Río Cañas	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; one-way street; southbound access at PR-797; the Carretera Central continues toward Caguas
Guaynabo	Río	23.3	14.5	PR-173 / PR-8834 (Carretera Central) – Aguas Buenas, Hato Nuevo, Sonadora	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward San Juan
		21.3	13.2	PR-20 north (Expreso Rafael Martínez Nadal) – Guaynabo
		21.0	13.0	PR-169 / PR-8834 (Carretera Central) – Guaynabo, Hato Nuevo, Sonadora	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward Caguas
San Juan	Tortugo	19.3	12.0	PR-873 (Carretera Central) – Tortugo	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; the Carretera Central continues toward San Juan
	Caimito	17.6– 17.5	10.9– 10.9	PR-199 (Avenida Doña Felisa Rincón de Gautier) – Guaynabo, Caimito, Cupey	Partial cloverleaf interchange
	Monacillo–Monacillo Urbano line	16.4	10.2	PR-177 (Avenida Lomas Verdes) – Guaynabo, Bayamón, Cupey	Partial cloverleaf interchange
	Monacillo Urbano	15.0– 14.6	9.3– 9.1	PR-18 north (Expreso Las Américas) / PR-52 south (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – San Juan, Bayamón, Caguas, Ponce	No access to PR-52 from northbound
	El Cinco	13.3– 12.9	8.3– 8.0	PR-21 west (Avenida Ingeniero José "Kiko" Custodio) / PR-176 south (Avenida Ana G. Méndez) – Guaynabo, Bayamón, Cupey
		12.5	7.8	PR-8838 (Avenida Juan Ponce de León) – Cupey	Southern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency; one-way street; southbound access at km 12.9; the Carretera Central continues toward Guaynabo
	Río Piedras	12.3	7.6	Puente de Río Piedras[7]
	Hato Rey Sur	12.1– 12.0	7.5– 7.5	PR-3 east (Avenida 65 de Infantería) – Carolina	Northern terminus of the Carretera Central concurrency
		10.8	6.7	PR-17 (Avenida Jesús T. Piñero) to PR-18 (Expreso Las Américas) – San Juan, Carolina	Partial cloverleaf interchange
	Hato Rey Norte	9.3	5.8	PR-41 (Calle Eleanor Roosevelt) – Hato Rey
		9.0	5.6	PR-23 (Avenida Franklin Delano Roosevelt) – Hato Rey
	Santurce	6.4– 6.2	4.0– 3.9	PR-22 (Autopista José de Diego) to PR-18 (Expreso Las Américas) – Bayamón, Caguas, Carolina, Santurce	PR-22 exits 1A and 1B; partial cloverleaf interchange
		5.5– 5.4	3.4– 3.4	PR-2 to PR-39 (Calle Cerra) – Bayamón, Guaynabo, Zona Portuaria, Santurce	Partial cloverleaf interchange; no access to PR-2 eastbound from southbound
		3.35	2.08	PR-16 south (Bulevar Román Baldorioty de Castro) / PR-25 south (Avenida Juan Ponce de León) / PR-26 east (Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro) – Santurce, Carolina	Southern terminus of PR-25 and the Carretera Central concurrencies; PR-25 southbound access via PR-16; the Carretera Central continues toward Santurce
	Caño de San Antonio	3.25	2.02	Puente San Antonio and Puente Guillermo Esteves[7]
	San Juan Antiguo	3.05	1.90	PR-25 north (Avenida de la Constitución) / PR-25P north (Avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera) / PR-Avenida Ashford – San Juan, Condado	Northern terminus of PR-25 and the Carretera Central concurrencies; PR-25 and Carretera Central northbound access via PR-25P; the Carretera Central continues toward San Juan
		0.0	0.0	PR-Calle Tanca – Old San Juan	Northern terminus of PR-1
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also

• Puerto Rico portal
• U.S. Roads portal

• List of highways in Ponce, Puerto Rico
• List of streets in Ponce, Puerto Rico