Highway 66 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruta 66 | ||||
| Autopista Roberto Sánchez Vilella | ||||
PR-66 highlighted in red
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Metropistas | ||||
| Length | 19.5 km[1] (12.1 mi) | |||
| Existed | 2006[2]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |   PR-3 / PR-26inSan Antón | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| East end |   PR-3 / PR-187 in Guzmán Abajo | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | |||
| Municipalities | Carolina, Canóvanas, Río Grande | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Puerto Rico Highway 66 (PR-66)[a] 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 interchangeinCanóvanas, 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]
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 CanóvanastoRío Grande was opened on 1 October 2012.[6]
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.[citation needed]
PR-66 is very close to the El Yunque National Forest and at the start of construction there were problems between developers and environmental activists. Several acts of disobedience took place, including removing beams which had already been installed.[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. It is possible PR-3 will be 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 GreenwayinVirginia 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]
| Location | Toll[12] | Direction | AutoExpreso acceptance |
AutoExpreso replenishment (R) lane |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | $1.50 | Two-way | 
|
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| Rampa Carolina Norte | $0.75 | Westbound exit (ramp) |
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| Rampa Carolina Sur | $0.75 | Eastbound entrance (ramp) |
|
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| Río Grande | $1.00 | Two-way |
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| Municipality | Location | km[1] | mi | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina | San Antón | 0.0 | 0.0 | — |  PR-3 (Avenida 65 de Infantería) / PR-Avenida Jesús M. Fragoso – Carolina, Río Piedras  PR-26 north (Expreso Román Baldorioty de Castro) – San Juan, Aeropuerto | Western terminus of PR-66 |
| Martín González | 1.4 | 0.87 | 1 |  PR-887 – Carolina, Trujillo Alto, Saint Just | ||
| 3.2 | 2.0 | Carolina Toll Plaza | ||||
| Trujillo Bajo | 4.9 | 3.0 | 5 |  PR-853 (Carretera Felipe Birriel Fernández, "El Gigante de Carolina") – Carolina, Barrazas, Carruzos | Toll exit | |
| Canóvanas | Canóvanas | 10.8 | 6.7 | 10 |  PR-185 – Canóvanas, Juncos | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 13.1 | 8.1 | 14 |     PR-9188toPR-3 / PR-188 north – Canóvanas, Río Grande, Loíza | Unsigned | ||
| Río Grande | Guzmán Abajo | 16.8 | 10.4 | Río Grande Toll Plaza (ETC only; no AutoExpreso replenishment lane) | ||
| 19.1 | 11.9 | 19 |  PR-956 – Guzmán Abajo | |||
| 19.5 | 12.1 | — | PR-3 / PR-187 north – Canóvanas, Luquillo, Fajardo, Río Grande | Eastern terminus of PR-66; PR-3 exit 25 | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
Media related to Puerto Rico Highway 66 at Wikimedia Commons
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Routes in italics are no longer a part of the system. Major Interstates are highlighted. | |
