Carretera Central (Puerto Rico)

Carretera Central
Central Highway
Carretera Militar[1]
Military Highway
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW
Length134 km[2]: 7  (83 mi)
Existed1898–present
Component
highways
  • PR-1
  • PR-14
Major junctions
South endAvenida Eugenio María de Hostos in Playa
Major intersections
North endLa Fortaleza in San Juan Antiguo
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryPuerto Rico
MunicipalitiesPonce, Juana Díaz, Coamo, Aibonito, Cayey, Cidra, Caguas, Guaynabo, San Juan
Highway system
Carretera Central
Carretera Central (Puerto Rico) is located in Puerto Rico
Carretera Central (Puerto Rico)
LocationHighway 14 from Cayey boundary to Coamo boundary[a]
Coordinates18°08′27″N 66°15′34″W / 18.140756°N 66.259532°W / 18.140756; -66.259532
Built1846–1886
Built byThe Spanish administration
EngineerRaimundo Camprubí,
Enrique Gadea,
Manuel Maese,
Manuel López de Bayo
Timoteo Luberza[3]
NRHP reference No.100003686[3]
Added to NRHPMay 2, 2019

The Carretera Central is a historic north–south central highway in Puerto Rico, linking the cities of San Juan and Ponce by way of Río Piedras, Caguas, Cayey, Aibonito, Coamo, and Juana Díaz. It crosses the Cordillera Central. Plans for the road started in the first half of the 19th century, and the road was fully completed in 1898.[2]: 7  At the time the United States took possession of Puerto Rico in 1898, the Americans called it "the finest road in the Western Hemisphere."[4]

A portion of the Carretera Central from partway through Caguas to the end of Juana Díaz was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2019.[5][6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Historia PR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference focus.nps.gov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RNLH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Harper's Weekly. New York: Harper and Brothers. Vol LXII. Issue 2188. 26 November 1898. p.1163.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Caguas was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nrhpdoc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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