Wikipedia

Puerto Rico Highway 22

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.

Highway 22 marker Highway 22 marker
Highway 22
Ruta 22
Autopista José de Diego
Map
PR-22 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Metropistas
Length84.3 km[1] (52.4 mi)
Existed1969[2]–present
Major junctions
West end PR-2 in Carrizales
Major intersections
East end PR-26 in Santurce
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryPuerto Rico
MunicipalitiesHatillo, Arecibo, Barceloneta, Manatí, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Dorado, Toa Baja, Bayamón, Cataño, Guaynabo, San Juan
Highway system
← PR-21→ PR-23

Route description

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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.

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

Municipalities served

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

Express lanes

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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 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

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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

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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

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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

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Logo signs

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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

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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.

Location Toll[12] Direction AutoExpreso
acceptance 		AutoExpreso
replenishment (R)
lane
Hatillo $0.90 Two-way     (eastbound only)
Rampa Arecibo $0.90 Westbound entrance (ramp)    
Arecibo $1.30 Two-way    
Manatí $1.30 Two-way     (westbound only)
Vega Alta $0.90 Two-way     (eastbound only)
Toa Baja $0.90 Two-way     (westbound only)
Buchanan $0.90 Two-way     (eastbound only)

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

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    PR-22 east approaching exits 7A-B to PR-165 in Guaynabo
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    PR-22 east at exit 13 to PR-167 in Bayamón
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    PR-22 east at exit 57 to PR-140 in Barceloneta
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    PR-22 east approaching exits 75A-B to PR-10 in Arecibo
MunicipalityLocationkm[1]miExitDestinationsNotes
HatilloCarrizales84.352.484B 
  PR-2 west (PRI-2) – Hatillo, Aguadilla, Mayagüez		Western terminus of PR-22. Splits into PR-2; Interstate PR2 continues westbound via PR-2 as an At-grade traffic light expressway.
83.551.984A 
  PR-2 east – Arecibo
82.251.1Hatillo Toll Plaza
AreciboHato Abajo78.0–
77.9		48.5–
48.4		77  PR-129 – Arecibo, Lares, San SebastiánSigned as exits 77A (north) and 77B (south)
Tanamá75.0–
74.9		46.6–
46.5		75  PR-10 – Arecibo, Utuado, AdjuntasSigned as exits 75A (north) and 75B (south)
Domingo Ruíz71.044.171 
   To PR-638 / PR-Avenida Músicos Arecibeños – Domingo Ruiz, Bajadero		Access to Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport
Factor64.940.364  
  PR-683 to PR-2 – Garrochales, Factor		ETC only; no AutoExpreso replenishment lane
64.239.9Arecibo Toll Plaza (ETC only; no AutoExpreso replenishment lane)
BarcelonetaFlorida Afuera56.935.457  PR-140 (Carretera Benito de Jesús Negrón) – Florida, Farmacéuticas
55.134.255  PR-140 (Carretera Benito de Jesús Negrón) – Barceloneta
Río Grande de Manatí55.1–
52.7		34.2–
32.7		Puente Juan Ramírez Vélez
ManatíCoto Norte47.729.648 
  PR-149 south (Carretera Fernando "Nando" Otero Sánchez) – Manatí Centro, Ciales
46.4–
46.3		28.8–
28.8		46  PR-686 (Carretera Leisha María Martínez Pagán) – Manati, Tierras NuevasWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
45.428.2Manatí Toll Plaza
Vega BajaAlgarrobo41.725.942  
  PR-137 (Expreso Ángel "Tony" Laureano Martínez) to PR-2 – Morovis, Vega Baja
Pugnado Afuera38.023.638PR-Avenida Trío Vegabajeño – Vega BajaWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Río Indio37.1–
36.5		23.1–
22.7		Puente Paso del Indio
Almirante Norte35.822.235  PR-160 – Almirante Norte
Vega AltaBajura32.920.432  PR-2 – Vega Alta, Vega Baja
Sabana31.919.831  PR-690 – Cerro GordoWestbound exit only; no re-entry
31.419.5Vega Alta Toll Plaza
DoradoHiguillar27.517.127  
  PR-694 (Carretera Carmelo Mercado Adorno) to PR-695 (Carretera Pedro Barbosa Román) – Vega Alta, Maguayo, Higuillar
Maguayo23.814.824   PR-659 / PR-693 (Avenida Édgar Martínez Salgado) – Dorado, Toa Alta
Toa BajaMedia Luna22.4–
22.3		13.9–
13.9		22   PR-165 – Toa Baja, Dorado, Toa Alta, CorozalWestbound exits are signed as 22A (north) and 22B (south).
21.813.5Toa Baja Toll Plaza
Candelaria17.410.817  
  PR-865 (Carretera Candelaria Arenas) to PR-866 – Campanilla, Candelaria
Sabana Seca15.69.716  PR-866 – La Arena, Base Naval, Sabana Seca
BayamónHato Tejas12.77.913   PR-167 (Avenida Ramón Luis Rivera) – Bayamón Centro, Comerío, LevittownAccess to Bayamón station
Bayamón–Cataño
municipal line		Juan Sánchez–Palmas line10.96.811  PR-869 (Carretera Industrial) – Palmas
10.16.310 
  PR-5 south (Expreso Río Hondo) – Bayamón		Only westbound direction. This is a new version (freeway version) of original access exit (Exit 9).
9.76.09  PR-5 – Bayamón, Cataño
GuaynaboPueblo Viejo8.05.0Buchanan Toll Plaza
6.94.37  PR-165 (Avenida El Caño) – Cataño, Zona Portuaria, Fort Buchanan, San PatricioExits signed 7A and 7B
5.63.56  PR-2 (Expreso John F. Kennedy) – Caguas, Guaynabo, San Patricio, San Juan, Hato Rey, SanturceSigned as Exits 6A and 6B. In westbound direction there is an exit (Exit 5) to PR-2 northbound after Exit 2B.
San JuanGobernador Piñero4.62.95 
  PR-2 north (Expreso John F. Kennedy) / PR-Avenida José de Diego – Sector Bechara, Puerto Nuevo		PR-2 northbound is accessible from PR-22 westbound, and PR-2 southbound is accessible from Exit 6.
Hato Rey Norte3.01.93PR-Avenida Roosevelt / PR-Calle Calaf – Plaza Las AméricasEastbound exit signed as 2B.
2.61.62A 
  PR-18 south (PRI-1 / Expreso Las Américas) – Río Piedras, Cupey, Caguas
Santurce1.3–
1.2		0.81–
0.75		1  
 
  PR-1 to PR-2 south – San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Hato Rey, Santurce		Signed as Exits 1A and 1B.
0.9–
0.4		0.56–
0.25		0 
  
    PR-25 west (Avenida Juan Ponce de León) / PR-35 east (Avenida Manuel Fernández Juncos) / PR-37 (Avenida De Diego) – Santurce		Exits are signed as Exit 0A, Exit 0B, but Exit 0C in the tunnel are unsigned. These exits are only accessible in eastbound direction. Access to Pavía Santurce and Doctors' Center Hospital-San Juan.
0.00.0—   PR-26 (PRI-3 / Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro) – San Juan, Condado Centro, Santurce, Carolina, Airport, Isla VerdeEastern terminus of Interstate PR2 and PR-22. Splits into PR-26 and Interstate PR3. PR-26 exit 2A
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "PR-22" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  2. ^ Historia. Departamento de Transportacion y Obras Publicas de Puerto Rico. Archived on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. ^ Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas. (In Spanish) Puerto Rico Autoridad de Carreteras y Transportacion (ACT).
  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. ^ 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. ^ "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. ^ Legends of Puerto Rico. Archived 2010-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Additional Designations. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
  9. ^ Abertis-Goldman Sachs group wins highways deal with $1.08 billion bid Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
  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. ^ Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works
  12. ^ "Mapas y Tarifas". Metropistas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  13. ^ DTOP
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