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Puerto Rico Highway 9

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Existed:
  
2006 – present

South end:
  
PR-52 in Ponce

North end:
  
PR-10 in Portugués

Constructed
  
2006

Puerto Rico Highway 9, also called the Anillo de Circunvalación de Ponce (Ponce's Circumferential Highway), is a limited-access state highway located entirely within the limits of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and connecting Puerto Rico Highway 10 in Barrio Portugués in the north to Puerto Rico Highway 52 in barrio Canas in the south. The Oficina de Ordenacion Territorial (Office of Territorial Ordering) of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce calls this road Ronda de Circunvalacion Roman Baldorioty de Castro (Roman Baldorioty de Castro Beltway).

Contents

Map of PR-9, Ponce, Puerto Rico

History

PR-9 was built in sections. On 13 October 2000, governor Pedro Rossello inaugurated the last segment needed for connecting the new PR-10, in barrio Portugues, to PR-123, in barrio Magueyes, and consisting of 7.27 km, at a cost of $22 million. In October 2012, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works revealed that the last tack of PR-9, one that would connect PR-10 to PR-52 and consisting of 2.6 kilometers, was soon to commence construction at a cost of $46 million.

The segment from PR-123 to PR-132 will cost $38.5 millions to be built and will be ready in 2016. The last phase of the construction which will connect PR-132 with Avenida Las Américas and Avenida Baramaya will be built at a cost of $45 millions. As of February 2014, this final segment is scheduled for completion by early 2018.

Route description

PR-9 is still partly under construction. The construction work has this far yielded the extreme northern and southern segments, with the middle segment still to be built. The road currently runs mostly northwest of the city as well as southwest of the city. The western segment is still being built. This last segment has a length of 4.23 kilometers.

When completed, it will have the effect of creating a beltway around the city, given that PR-9 connects with PR-10 at its northern extreme, and PR-10 already borders the city around its northern, northeastern, and eastern edges. This beltway will have junctions with all major city highways: from PR-2 in the west Ponce to PR-52 and PR-1 in east Ponce.

Major junctions

The five exits existing so far are PR-52, PR-2, PR-163 in the southwestern segment, and PR-123, and PR-10 in the northwestern segment. When completed, the road will have six exits in this sequence from north to south: PR-10, PR-123, PR-132, PR-163, PR-2, and PR-52.

The junction list is as follows:

  • PR-10 in Tibes
  • PR-123 in Magueyes
  • PR-132 in Canas, Jardines del Caribe vecinity
  • PR-163 in Canas, Avenida Las Americas vecinity
  • PR-2 in Canas, El Tuque sector
  • PR-52 in Playa
  • Construction

    The building of PR-9 is taking place in several phases. Phase I, already completed, consisted of the stretch of the road from PR-10 in Barrio Portugues to PR-123 in Barrio Magueyes.

    Phase II consists of the stretch between PR-123 at barrio Magueyes to PR-132 in Barrio Canas. As of August 18, 2010, the Phase II stretch was in the planning phase according to Puerto Rico's Commissioner of Transportation and Public Works, Rubén A. Hernández Gregorat. Phase II is expected to cost $28 million. The length of this section is 2.61 kilometers. It includes three bridges: one will cross Río Canas, a second one will be an overpass for PR-123, and a third bridge will cross the access ramp to PR-123.

    Phase III of PR-9 will run from PR-132 in Canas to PR-163 (with a connection to Avenida Las Américas) in barrio Canas Urbano. It is expected to cost some $36 million. This section will have a length of 1.62 kilometers, and will require three bridges: One will be an overpass to Las Americas Avenue at PR-163, one crossing Rio Pastillo, and one crossing PR-132.

    The fourth and last portion of this project, Phase IV will consist of a stretch between PR-163 and PR-2 via improvements to the existing 4-lane Avenida Baramaya roadway.

    Completion of this last phase will make it possible to circumvent city traffic altogether by providing a loop around Ponce for motorists wishing access to areas north and northeast of the city from PR-2 in the El Tuque sector of barrion Canas. It will, for example, be possible to travel from Mayaguez to Adjuntas without the need to travel on the eastern segment of PR-10 near Mercedita Airport.

    References

    Puerto Rico Highway 9 Wikipedia