Puerto Rico Highway 52

Detailed map of PR-52 in the Municipality of Ponce

PR-52 is Puerto Rico's longest and second most traveled tollway. The road is mostly a 2-lane road in each direction. The section between the Caguas toll and the town of Salinas crosses the Cordillera Central, resulting in a more curvy and hilly section than the other sections of the highway. It also experiences more fog and lower visibility than the rest of the road due to the altitude. The speed limit is also reduced in the area.

One of Puerto Rico's only 2 rest areas is located on this expressway. map The other rest area is located on PR-53 (northbound only) near Humacao/Naguabo municipality border although it is signed as a scenic zone and thus just like the rest area on PR-52, it has no facilities. map The rest area, however, has no relief, vending, or service facilities such as a restaurant or a gas station. The rest area does include an important monument, the Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño. The whimsical Tetas de Cayey are visible from this rest area as well.

PR-52 passes extremely close to the central town of Cidra between approximately kilometer markers 34 and 30. In fact, Exit 32 to Guavate is so close to the Cidra border that once the exit is taken and instead of going south to Guavate and Patillas through PR-184, going north it quickly ends at PR-1 and a welcome sign to Cidra is shown. The tollway itself never enters Cidra itself, but PR-1 (the parallel road from Ponce to San Juan) does.

The speed limit from San Juan to Caguas is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). From Caguas to Salinas, it is 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), and from Salinas to Ponce, it is 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).

The building of this 108-kilometer (67 mi)[4] expressway took place during the administration of governor Luis A. Ferré, who was trained as a civil engineer himself. [5] It was built at a cost of $125 million.[6] PR-52 was Puerto Rico's first toll road ever. Construction for this road started in October 1968 during the administration of governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella, also a trained engineer, and continued during Luis Ferre's tenure. It was then named Autopista Las Americas, and it was planned to run from San Juan to Ponce.[7] On December 9, 1993, Law 118 was enacted which renamed the roadway Autopista Luis A. Ferre.[7] The expressway is currently the longest in the island, but this will change when the 83-km-long PR-22 extends to Aguadilla. In March 1969 the roadway became a tolled expressway. The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority reports that tolls were added to the highway to speed up its construction.[7] The road was completed in 1975 during the first administration of governor Rafael Hernández Colón.[8]

On July 22, 2019, more than half a million Puerto Ricans shut down PR-52 demanding the resignation of the then governor, Ricardo Rosselló, following a leaked Telegram chat between the governor and several members of his cabinet.

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  Puerto Rico Highway 52
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  View from PR-52 in Cayey
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  PR-52 near Cayey and Salinas
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  The Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño and Las Tetas de Cayey
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  PR-52 near Santa Isabel
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  PR-52 southbound entering Ponce

• Interstate Highways in Puerto Rico
• List of highways in Ponce, Puerto Rico
• List of highways numbered 52

• Media related to Puerto Rico Highway 52 at Wikimedia Commons