1953 Puerto Rico highway renumbering

In 1953, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works implemented a major renumbering of its insular highways. Before 1953, highway routes were numbered in the 1 to just over 100 range and were distributed randomly throughout the island, resulting in several routes with long road lengths. The numbering system adopted in 1953, which is in use today, increased the range of route numbers from the just-over-100 to 999, resulting in a decrease in the length of many routes. This new numbering system follows a grid pattern for highways numbered between 100 and 999, with the lower numbered roads found to the west and systematically increasing towards 999 as the traveler moves easterly. Although PR-1, PR-2 and PR-3 routes had notable changes in some of their segments, these three are the only highways that kept their route numbers intact due to their interregional prominence.

History

The first major roadways in Puerto Rico were built by the Government of Spain. By 1898, the year when Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States, of roadways had been built. Additionally, were built between 1898 and 1908, more were added from 1908 to 1918, and were added from 1918 to 1927. By March 1928, there were 12 districts and some highway routes, particularly routes number 1, 2 and 3, crossed multiple districts. Some of the highways within the 12 districts included:

District	Road Numbers	Notes
1	1, 3
2	1, 2, 3, 16
3	2, 13, 27
4	3, 4, Salinas-Cayey
5	2, 6, 13, 33, 34
6	6, 15, 17
7	1, 9, 10, 15
8	3, 5, 7, 28
9	2, 9, 10, 24
10	2, 8, 11, Guajataca
11	2, 11, 20
12	8, 13

List of highways

Old Number	Southern or western terminus	Northern or eastern terminus	Length, km	New Number/s	Notes
Route 1	Barrio Playa in Ponce	La Fortaleza in San Juan		PR-123, PR-14, PR-1, PR-25	Carretera Central. Parts of PR-14R, PR-735, PR-798, PR-8834, PR-873 and PR-8838 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 2	Route 6 in Ponce	Route 1 in San Juan		PR-132, PR-2, PR-115, PR-23, PR-1, PR-39	Parts of PR-127, PR-121, PR-102, PR-114, PR-239, PR-104, PR-439, PR-4439, PR-1107, PR-460, PR-469, PR-112, PR-113, PR-479, PR-484, PR-4491, PR-119, PR-4490, PR-660, PR-681, PR-6681, PR-662, PR-669, PR-670, PR-155, PR-160, PR-676, PR-680, PR-165, PR-8865, PR-864, PR-855, PR-41 and PR-42 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 3	Route 1 in Ponce	Route 1 in San Juan		PR-133, PR-1, PR-3	Parts of PR-578, PR-5507, PR-178, PR-182, PR-9910, PR-979, PR-194, PR-940, PR-193, PR-955, PR-187, PR-187R, PR-958, PR-9958, PR-9959, PR-874, PR-887 and PR-47 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 4	Route 3 in Guayama	Route 1 in Cayey		PR-15
Route 5	Route 22 in Comerío	Route 3 in Humacao	—	PR-156, PR-189, PR-198	PR-7156 and PR-768 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 6	Route 1 in Ponce	Route 2 in Arecibo		PR-123, PR-10	PR-6609 and PR-6109 belong to an original segment of this highway.
Route 7	Route 1 in Caguas	Route 5 in Las Piedras		PR-183	Parts of PR-9931, PR-181 and PR-980 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 8	Route 2 in Aguadilla	Route 6 in Adjuntas		PR-111, PR-128, PR-135	Parts of PR-1107, PR-4443, PR-125, PR-125R, PR-4111 and PR-1111 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 9	Route 15 in Barranquitas	Route 2 in Bayamón		PR-156, PR-167	PR-839 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 10	Route 1 in Coamo	Route 2 in Dorado	—	PR-155, PR-568, PR-159, PR-165	Parts of PR-5155, PR-891 and PR-165R belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 11	Route 1 in Juana Díaz	Route 2 in Manatí		PR-149	Parts of PR-570, PR-519, PR-5550, PR-550, PR-589, PR-149R, PR-146 and PR-6685 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 12	Route 3 in Patillas	Route 7 in San Lorenzo	—	PR-181	Part of PR-183 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 13	Route 8 in Lares	Route 2 in Arecibo		PR-111, PR-129	Parts of PR-1111 and PR-134 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 14	Route 35 in Mayagüez	Route 16 in Maricao	—	PR-106, PR-120, PR-105
Route 15	Route 6 in Adjuntas	Route 1 in Aibonito		PR-143, PR-140, PR-144, PR-141, PR-533, PR-157, PR-155, PR-156, PR-162	The northern part of PR-5155 belongs to an original segment of this highway. This road was briefly interrupted by Route 11 in Ciales.
Route 16	Route 2 in Yauco	Route 8 in Lares		PR-128	Parts of PR-375, PR-371 and PR-3372 belong to an original segment of this highway.
Route 17	Route 13 in Lares	Route 15 in Jayuya	—	PR-111, PR-140	PR-6111 belongs to an original segment of this highway. This road was briefly interrupted by Route 6 in Utuado.
Route 18	Route 19 in Cabo Rojo	Route 2 in Cabo Rojo		PR-307, PR-308, PR-103, PR-102
Route 19	Barrio Boquerón in Cabo Rojo	Route 39 in Lajas		PR-101
Route 20	Route 11 in Ciales	Route 9 in Naranjito		PR-633, PR-155, PR-159, PR-164	Parts of PR-6633 and PR-149 belong to an original segment of this highway. This road was interrupted by Route 10 into two segments: one from Ciales to western Corozal and the other from eastern Corozal to Naranjito.
Route 21	Baños de Coamo in Coamo	Route 1 in Coamo		PR-546, PR-153
Route 22	Route 9 in Comerío	Route 1 in Cidra		PR-172, PR-787	Part of PR-7167, PR-781 and PR-156 belong to an original segment of this highway.
Route 23	Route 5 in Gurabo	Route 3 in San Juan	—	PR-181	PR-943, PR-876 and PR-877 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 24	Route 2 in Bayamón	Barrio Pueblo in Cataño		PR-5	PR-890 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 25	Route 1 in Guaynabo	Route 24 in Cataño		PR-20, PR-165	PR-169, PR-19 and PR-24 belong to original segments of this highway. This road was briefly interrupted by Route 2 in San Patricio area.
Route 26	Route 17 in Utuado	Route 2 in Barceloneta	—	PR-140
Route 27	Route 2 in Mayagüez	Route 14 in Maricao		PR-105
Route 28	Route 5 in Juncos	Route 3 in Naguabo		PR-31, PR-192
Route 29	Route 18 in Cabo Rojo	Route 2 in San Germán		PR-102, PR-317
Route 30	Route 20 in Morovis	Route 2 in Vega Baja		PR-155
Route 31	Route 1 in Aibonito	Route 9 in Comerío	—	PR-173, PR-775, PR-740	Part of PR-727 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 32	Route 3 in San Juan	Route 1 in San Juan	—	PR-27, PR-36
Route 33	Route 13 in Hatillo	Route 2 in Hatillo	—	PR-130
Route 34	Route 8 in San Sebastián	Route 2 in Camuy	—	PR-119
Route 35	Route 2 in Mayagüez	Route 8 in San Sebastián		PR-106, PR-119	Formerly portion of Route 13
Route 36	Route 2 in Guayanilla	Route 2 in Ponce		PR-127, PR-2, PR-2R	PR-591 and PR-5549 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 37	Route 18 in Cabo Rojo	Route 2 in Mayagüez	—	PR-102
Route 38	Route 69 in Vieques	Barrio Puerto Diablo in Vieques	—	PR-200
Route 39	Route 2 in San Germán	Route 2 in Yauco		PR-101, PR-116	PR-320, PR-315, PR-3116, PR-4116 and PR-326 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 40	Route 2 in Añasco	Route 8 in San Sebastián	—	PR-109
Route 41	Route 1 in San Juan	Route 1 in San Juan		PR-35	Part of PR-1 and PR-16 belong to an original segment of this highway.
Route 42	Route 10 in Toa Alta	Route 9 in Bayamón		PR-861
Route 43	Route 5 in Juncos	Route 3 in Canóvanas	—	PR-185	PR-952 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 44	Route 3 in Canóvanas	Route 3 in Río Grande	—	PR-951, PR-187
Route 45	Route 46 in San Juan	Route 2 in San Juan	—	PR-18, PR-41
Route 46	Route 25 in San Juan	Route 1 in San Juan		PR-21
Route 47	Route 3 in Salinas	Route 1 in Cayey	—	PR-1, PR-170
Route 48	Route 47 in Aibonito	Route 1 in Aibonito	—	PR-162
Route 49	Route 1 in Cayey	Route 22 in Cidra	—	PR-171	PR-7731 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 50	Route 2 in Mayagüez	Route 2 in San Germán	—	PR-348, PR-119	Parts of PR-2, PR-360 and PR-347 belong to an original segment of this highway.
Route 51	Route 1 in Ponce	Route 15 in Jayuya	—	PR-139, PR-143	PR-139R belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 52	Route 2 in Toa Baja	Playa de Sardinera in Dorado	—	PR-165, PR-6165, PR-693, PR-697	PR-854 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 53	Route 2 in Dorado	Route 52 in Dorado	—	PR-693
Route 54	Route 20 in Morovis	Route 2 in Vega Baja	—	PR-160
Route 55	Route 2 in Arecibo	Route 96 in Barceloneta	—	PR-681	-
Route 56	Route 39 in Lajas	Route 2 in Sabana Grande	—	PR-117
Route 57	Route 3 in Carolina	Route 1 in San Juan	—	PR-26	Parts of PR-8887, PR-190 and PR-37 belong to original segments of this highway.
Route 58	Route 43 in Carolina	Route 3 in Carolina	—	PR-853
Route 60	Route 3 in Ceiba	[Machos, Ceiba, Puerto Rico\|Ceiba, Puerto Rico\|Barrio Machos] in Ceiba	—	Formerly PR-980	Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
Route 61	Route 3 in Juana Díaz	Route 1 in Juana Díaz		PR-149	PR-592 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 62	Route 4 in Guayama	Route 1 in Cidra	—	PR-179, PR-184	PR-7736 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 63	Route 5 in Aguas Buenas	Route 2 in Bayamón	—	PR-174	Part of PR-5 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 64	Route 8 in Adjuntas	Route 13 in Lares	—	PR-129
Route 65	Route 11 in Villalba	Route 10 in Orocovis	—	PR-150, PR-151, PR-143
Route 67	Route 23 in Trujillo Alto	Route 23 in Trujillo Alto	—	PR-175, PR-846
Route 68	Route 34 in Camuy	Route 2 in Quebradillas	—	PR-113
Route 69	Route 38 in Vieques	Route 38 in Vieques	—	PR-201
Route 70	Barrio Punta Arenas in Vieques	Route 38 in Vieques	—	PR-200
Route 73	Route 2 in Añasco	Route 40 in Añasco	—	PR-402
Route 75	Route 11 in Manatí	Route 30 in Vega Baja	—	PR-643
Route 77	Route 3 in Santa Isabel	Route 21 in Coamo	—	PR-153
Route 78	Route 2 in Hormigueros	Route 50 in Mayagüez	—	PR-309, PR-344
Route 80	Route 2 in Peñuelas	Route 8 in Adjuntas	—	PR-386, PR-131	This road was interrupted between Peñuelas and Adjuntas.
Route 81	Route 2 in Sabana Grande	Route 27 in Maricao	—	PR-120
Route 82	Route 2 in Hormigueros	Route 2 in Hormigueros	—	PR-319, PR-309, PR-343
Route 85	Route 35 in Mayagüez	Route 40 in Añasco	—	PR-108
Route 92	Route 35 in Las Marías	[Buena Vista, Las Marías, Puerto Rico\|Las Marías, Puerto Rico\|Barrio Buena Vista] in Las Marías	—	PR-124, PR-370
Route 93	Route 92 in Las Marías	Route 8 in Lares	—	PR-124
Route 96	Route 2 in Barceloneta	Route 2 in Barceloneta	—	PR-140	PR-6140 belongs to an original segment of this highway.
Route 98	Cerro Maravilla in Ponce	Route 11 in Orocovis	—	PR-577, PR-143
Route 100	Route 15 in Orocovis	Route 20 in Morovis	—	PR-155
Route 102	Route 10 in Orocovis	Route 15 in Barranquitas	—	PR-143, PR-720
Route 103	Route 11 in Villalba	Route 10 in Coamo	—	PR-150
Route 104	Route 77 in Coamo	Route 47 in Salinas	—	PR-154
Route 107	Route 31 in Cidra	Route 22 in Cidra	—	PR-173
Route 109	Route 5 in Aguas Buenas	Route 1 in Guaynabo	—	PR-173
Route 110	Route 1 in Caguas	Route 67 in Trujillo Alto	—	PR-175
Route 111	Route 7 in San Lorenzo	Route 5 in Gurabo	—	PR-181
Route 112	Route 28 in Naguabo	Route 3 in Río Grande	—	PR-191	El Yunque National Forest