Puerto Rico Highway 142

Highway 142 marker
Highway 142
Ruta 142
Carretera José Antonio "Sonny" Rodríguez Ortiz[1]
Map
PR-142 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW
Length8.2 km[2] (5.1 mi)
Major junctions
South end PR-159 in Pueblo
Major intersections
North end PR-2 in Espinosa–Maguayo
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryPuerto Rico
MunicipalitiesCorozal, Toa Alta, Dorado
Highway system
← PR-141→ PR-143

Puerto Rico Highway 142 (PR-142) is a north–south road that connects the northern region of Puerto Rico with the municipality of Corozal.[3] With a length of about 8.2 kilometers (5.1 mi),[2] PR-142 crosses the municipalities of Dorado, Toa Alta and Corozal, extending from PR-2 in Dorado to PR-159 near downtown Corozal.[4]

Route description

Puerto Rico Highway 142 begins in Dorado as a divided highway with two lanes in both directions. Then it becomes a smaller road known as 2+1 road, with areas where there are two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other direction until its end in Corozal. At all of its junctions with other roads is a divided highway and has a speed limit of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) in the entire length.[5] Between Toa Alta and Corozal, the road can be dangerous during the night and rainy days because the area is very dark and the fog formation is frequent, causing poor visibility to drivers.[6] In 2009, this highway was officially designated as Carretera José Antonio "Sonny" Rodríguez Ortiz, although it is also commonly known as Expreso de Corozal (Corozal Expressway).[5]

  • Puerto Rico Highway 142 by municipality
  • Southbound sign in Espinosa, Dorado
    Southbound sign in Espinosa, Dorado
  • Heading north in Río Lajas, Toa Alta
    Heading north in Río Lajas, Toa Alta
  • Heading south in Abras, Corozal
    Heading south in Abras, Corozal

Dorado

In Dorado, it is mostly a divided highway with two lanes per direction. At this municipality, PR-142 has a trumpet interchange with PR-2 at its beginning between Maguayo and Espinosa barrios.[7] Then, it has two intersections with PR-677 that serves to a few communities in Espinosa barrio.[3] Before entering Toa Alta, PR-142 becomes an undivided highway with one lane per direction. The entire length of this highway in Dorado is located in Espinosa barrio.[8]

Toa Alta

In Toa Alta, PR-142 is mostly a 2+1 road after crossing the Lajas River Bridge that is located on the municipal limit with Dorado. In this municipality, the highway has two intersections with PR-823 that serves to several communities located in Río Lajas barrio.[3] PR-823 is concurrent with PR-142 for about one kilometer (0.62 mi) and in most of this concurrency there are two lanes per direction. Shortly after the overlap ends, Corozal begins. The entire length of PR-142 in Toa Alta is located in Río Lajas barrio.[9]

Corozal

In Corozal, this highway is also mostly a 2+1 road from the Toa Alta municipal limit until its approach to PR-159, where it has two lanes in both directions. Only on the Mavilla River Bridge has a single lane per direction.[10] Around the area where the river is located, the road is often covered by fog that forms at night and on rainy days, causing poor visibility and increasing the risk of traffic accidents.[6] The route passes through Abras and Pueblo barrios until its end at PR-159 near downtown Corozal.[11][12]

History

In 1990, the possibility of building a highway that would connect the town of Corozal with the San Juan metropolitan area was studied due to the population growth that the municipality experienced during those years and the limited employment opportunity available in the mountainous region of Puerto Rico.[13] Consequently, construction of the highway began in 1996 as part of government efforts so that residents of Corozal and bordering towns in the interior of Puerto Rico would have direct access to the Autopista José de Diego (PR-22) and see reduced travel time to their workplaces in the metropolitan area. The construction process was not without problems as the road was planned to be located in protected agricultural land and the Northern Karst zone, so the initial budget had to be increased so that the route was diverted through a more favorable area and thus avoiding the expropriation of a greater amount of land and families.[14] The highway was inaugurated and completed around the year 2000.

Future

In the short term, it is expected that the undivided road between Corozal and Dorado will be widened as a government initiative to reduce traffic accidents that have occurred on the highway.[15] This project is currently being studied for the placement of a Jersey barrier between both directions, including more lanes and the installation of lights in dark areas with the collaboration of the municipality of Corozal.[16] In the long term, PR-142 could be extended to PR-22, but no agreement has yet been reached for this project to become a reality. If the proposed project is completed, the highway could facilitate people's access to their workplaces in the metropolitan area while potentially reducing travel time between both regions.[17]

Major intersections

  • PR-2 west at the exit to PR-142 south in Maguayo,[a] Dorado
    PR-2 west at the exit to PR-142 south in Maguayo,[a] Dorado
  • PR-2 east near the northern terminus of PR-142 in Espinosa,[a] Dorado
    PR-2 east near the northern terminus of PR-142 in Espinosa,[a] Dorado
  • PR-142 north approaching PR-2 interchange in Espinosa,[a] Dorado
    PR-142 north approaching PR-2 interchange in Espinosa,[a] Dorado
  • PR-142 south near the northern terminus of PR-823 concurrency in Río Lajas, Toa Alta
    PR-142 south near the northern terminus of PR-823 concurrency in Río Lajas, Toa Alta
MunicipalityLocationkm[2]miDestinationsNotes
CorozalPueblo8.25.1 PR-159 – Toa Alta, MorovisSouthern terminus of PR-142; access to Área de Pesca Embalse La Plata and Centro Histórico-Turístico del Cibuco
Abras7.6–
7.3		4.7–
4.5		Calle Marginal (unsigned)One-way street; southbound exit and entrance; Calle Marginal means frontage road
Toa AltaRío Lajas4.953.08 PR-823 – Toa AltaSouthern terminus of PR-823 concurrency; access to Quebrada Arenas
4.02.5 PR-823 – MarzánNorthern terminus of PR-823 concurrency; access to PR-820
DoradoEspinosa2.51.6 PR-677 – Rufo Rodríguez
1.30.81 PR-677 – La PRRA, Los Rodríguez
Espinosa–Maguayo line0.00.0 PR-2 – San Juan, AreciboNorthern terminus of PR-142; trumpet interchange
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c PR-2 is located on the Maguayo–Espinosa line. Eastbound lanes are located in Espinosa and westbound lanes are in Maguayo.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Resolución conjunta para designar la Carretera PR-142 que discurre desde el Municipio de Dorado hasta el Municipio de Corozal con el nombre de José Antonio "Sonny" Rodríguez Ortiz" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "PR-142" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Tránsito Promedio Diario (AADT)". Datos de Transito 2000-2009 (in Spanish). Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works. p. 78. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. ^ National Geographic Maps (2011). Puerto Rico (Map). 1:125,000. Adventure Map (Book 3107). Evergreen, Colorado: National Geographic Maps. ISBN 978-1566955188. OCLC 756511572.
  5. ^ a b House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. "Resolución para ordenar a la Comisión de Transportación, Infraestructura, y de Recreación y Deportes de la Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico, a realizar una investigación sobre las condiciones de la Carretera 142, la cual discurre por los municipios de Dorado, Toa Alta y Corozal, debido a los constantes accidentes automovilísticos en la zona que ponen en peligro la seguridad de los usuarios de dicha vía de rodaje" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Aparatoso accidente fatal en Corozal" (in Spanish). WAPA-TV. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Maguayo Barrio second-order administrative division, Dorado, Puerto Rico". pr.geoview.info. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Espinosa Barrio second-order administrative division, Dorado, Puerto Rico". pr.geoview.info. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Río Lajas Barrio second-order administrative division, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico". pr.geoview.info. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  10. ^ Press, Detroit Free. "PR 142 over MAVILLA RIVER Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico Bridge Inspection Report". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Abras Barrio second-order administrative division, Corozal, Puerto Rico". pr.geoview.info. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Pueblo Barrio second-order administrative division, Corozal, Puerto Rico". pr.geoview.info. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Resolución para ordenar a la (s) Comisión (es) una jurisdicción correspondiente de la Cámara de Representantes realizar una abarcadora investigación sobre el proceso de construcción de la Carretera PR-142 en Corozal; la participación de los funcionarios gubernamentales en los procesos relacionados con dicha construcción y el efecto ambiental, comunitario y fiscal de dicha construcción y para otros fines" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Resolución para ordenar a la Comisión de Transportación y Obras Públicas y Recursos Naturales y de Calidad Ambiental de la Cámara de Representantes efectuar un estudio sobre los efectos de la construcción de la Carretera PR-142 sobre la comunidad del barrio Abras Mavilla en Corozal y sobre los recursos naturales allí existentes" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Alcalde de Corozal fija su norte en el deporte y la recreación". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). 5 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Gran preocupación con la seguridad en PR-142". Metro Puerto Rico (in Spanish). 9 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Resolución conjunta para ordenar al Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas y a la Autoridad de Carreteras a realizar un estudio sobre la viabilidad, necesidad y conveniencia de construir el Conector de la Carretera PR-142 al Expreso de Diego PR-22" (PDF). Oficina de Servicios Legislativos (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
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