Puerto Rico Highway 66


Puerto Rico Highway 66 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, 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. It is only long and has very few exits, which work mainly to minimize traffic in the congested Carolina area of PR-3.
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.

Route description

Naming

PR-66 is, in reality, an extension of older expressway PR-26, as both expressways are attached. 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. 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.
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, after the Dulles Greenway in Virginia in terms of its small length, about. The result is that PR-66 has low traffic most all the time, including during rush hours. As of December 2011, the toll must be paid by pre-paid AutoExpreso.

Exit list

Toll plazas

Gallery