Puerto Rico Highway 66

Puerto Rico Highway 66 (PR-66)[lower-alpha 1] is a main tollway which parallels Puerto Rico Highway 3 going from the city of Carolina, Puerto Rico via a 3 loops cloverleaf interchange with PR-26 and PR-3[3], a major exit in the form of a Trumpet interchange in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico and ending in the municipality of Río Grande, Puerto Rico with an intersection of PR-3.[4] It is only 19.5 kilometres (12.1 mi)[5] long and has very few exits, which work mainly to minimize traffic in the congested Carolina area of PR-3.[2]

Highway 66
Autopista Roberto Sánchez Vilella
PR-66 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW
Length19.5 km[1] (12.1 mi)
Existed2006[2]–present
Major junctions
West end PR-3 / PR-26 in San Antón
 
East end PR-3 / PR-187 in Guzmán Abajo
Location
MunicipalitiesCarolina, Canóvanas, Río Grande
Highway system
← PR-65PR-100 →

The highway is called the Roberto Sánchez Vilella Expressway, which is also the name given to the much larger PR-2 freeway segment from Hormigueros to Ponce. The second phase of PR-66 from Canóvanas to Rio Grande was opened on 1 October 2012.[6]

Route description

Naming

PR-66 is, in reality, an extension of older expressway PR-26, as both expressways are attached (that is, there is no need to take an exit to enter the other expressway, much like PR-18 and PR-52). PR-66 was assigned that number after U.S. Route 66 in the United States.

Controversy

PR-66 is very close to the El Yunque National Forest and at the beginning caused problems between developers and environmental activists. Several actions of disobedience took place, including beams already installed being removed.[7] The expressway was planned to be extended to Fajardo but due to the close presence of the forest reserve, it was accorded to be extended to Río Grande and connect to PR-3 which has several exits between that municipality and Fajardo, and it might be possible that PR-3 is converted into a complete freeway in that segment as it approaches PR-53.[8][9]

The short expressway is very expensive in terms of toll fees and many people still go through PR-3 as a consequence. There are no plans to change the cost. The current toll fees are $1.50 and $1.00, respectively. This makes this small freeway the second most expensive tollway in the US (excluding bridges and tunnels), after the Dulles Greenway in Virginia in terms of its small length, about 30 cents per mile (19 ¢/km). The result is that PR-66 has low traffic most all the time, including during rush hours.[10] As of December 2011, the toll must be paid by pre-paid AutoExpreso.[11]

Tolls
Location Toll Direction AutoExpreso
acceptance		 AutoExpreso
replenishment (R)
lane
Carolina $1.50 Two-way
Carolina Rampa Norte $0.75 Two-way (ramp)
Carolina Rampa Sur $0.75 Two-way (ramp)
Río Grande $1.00 Two-way

Exit list
MunicipalityLocationkm[1]miExitDestinationsNotes
CarolinaSan Antón0.00.0— PR-3 (Avenida 65 de Infantería) / Avenida Jesús M. Fragoso – Carolina, Río Piedras
PR-26 north (Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro) – San Juan, Aeropuerto		Western terminus of PR-66
Martín González1.40.871 PR-887 – Carolina, Trujillo Alto, Saint Just
3.22.0Carolina Toll Plaza
Trujillo Bajo4.93.05 PR-853 (Carretera Felipe Birriel Fernández, "El Gigante de Carolina") – Carolina, Barrazas, CarruzosToll exit
CanóvanasCanóvanas10.86.710 PR-185 – Canóvanas, JuncosEastbound exit and westbound entrance
13.18.114 To PR-3 / PR-188 north – Canóvanas, Río Grande, Loíza
Río GrandeGuzmán Abajo16.810.4Río Grande Toll Plaza (ETC only; no AutoExpreso replenishment lane)
19.111.919 PR-956 – Guzmán Abajo
19.512.1— PR-3 / PR-187 north – Canóvanas, Luquillo, Fajardo, Río GrandeEastern terminus of PR-66; PR-3 exit 25
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  • Toll on Puerto Rico Highway 66
  • A stretch of PR-66 heading to Río Grande
  • PR-66 interchange with PR-188 in Canóvanas
  • PR-66 starts at PR-3 in Río Grande

See also

Notes
  1. PR-66 is the unsigned Interstate PRI3

References
  1. Google (28 February 2020). "PR-66" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  2. https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/route-66-extension/
  3. "Tránsito Promedio Diario (AADT)". Transit Data (Datos de Transito) (in Spanish). DTOP PR. p. 54.
  4. Puerto Rico (fold out) (Map). National Geographic Adventure Map (Book 3107). 7 May 2011. ISBN 978-1566955188.
  5. Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas. Departamento de Transportación y Obras Publicas de Puerto Rico. Accessed 21 February 2020.
  6. http://www.elnuevodia.com/fortunoinauguranuevotramodelaruta66-1354194.html
  7. "2000 TSPR 60 Wanda Colón Cortés v. Carlos I. Pesquera CC-99-0666" (PDF). Rama Judicial de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  8. https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/inauguran-nuevo-tramo-de-la-ruta-66/
  9. https://www.telemundopr.com/noticias/local/convertiran-carretera-pr-3-en-expreso-ultima-fase-pr-66-hasta-fajardo/21414/
  10. https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/ruta-66-opinan-que-es-costoso-para-un-trayecto-tan-corto/
  11. https://www.autoexpreso.com/CustWebApp/WebIndex.jsp

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