Puerto Rico Highway 163

Puerto Rico Highway 163 (PR-163) is a major two-way thoroughfare in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road has both of its termini as well as all of its length entirely within the Ponce city limits. The road runs east to west from its eastern terminus at PR-2 in Barrio San Antón to its western terminus at PR-500 in Barrio Canas. The road has a length of 4.8 kilometers.^[3] Most of the road runs as part of Avenida Las Américas.

Highway 163
Ruta 163
Route information
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW
Length	4.5 km[1] (2.8 mi)
Existed	1960[2]: 52 –present
Major junctions
West end	PR-500 in Canas Urbano
Major intersections	PR-2R in Canas Urbano PR-123 in Canas Urbano PR-12 in San Antón
East end	PR-2 in San Antón
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Puerto Rico
Municipalities	Ponce
Highway system
Roads in Puerto Rico List
← PR-162 → PR-164

Route description

The two-way roadway is 4.8 kilometers long, starts at PR-2 in Barrio San Antón and runs westward. The road is named "Avenida Julio Enrique Monagas" from kilometer 0.0 at PR-2, in the western end of Barrio San Antón, to kilometer 0.7 in central Barrio San Antón, where it then starts to run over Avenida Las Américas. It then runs its next 4.1 kilometers over Avenida Las Américas until its western terminus at its junction with PR-500 in Barrio Canas. The road's run on Avenida Julio Enrique Monagas is a divided 4-lane roadway; its run over Avenida Las Américas is as a divided 6-lane roadway. Its western terminus with PR-500 is near Puente San Antonio.^[2]: 251

Starting at PR-2 in Barrio San Antón, PR-163 runs westerly. From there, the road's first major intersection is at kilometer 0.7 with Avenida Las Américas. Heading west, PR-163's next major intersection is with Avenida Santiago de los Caballeros, also known as "Avenida Malecón" (PR-12). Continuing west from PR-12, the road crosses over Río Portugués before passing by Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila. It then intersects with Avenida Hostos (PR-123) in Barrio Canas, after which it passes by Museo de Arte de Ponce on the right^[4] and Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico,^[5] on the left. Its next major intersection is with PR-2R (Ramal PR-2) at Secretaría de Recreación y Deportes Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre, near Francisco Montaner Stadium and Juan Pachín Vicéns Auditorium. About 1 kilometer after this, the road comes to its end at its junction with PR-500 in Barrio Canas.

• 
  PR-163 looking east near PR-2R in Barrio Canas Urbano, Ponce, Puerto Rico
• 
  Hospital Dr. Pila (now, Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila) on the north side of Avenida Las Américas (PR-163) looking northeast, in Barrio Canas Urbano

Characteristics

The less transited western section of this road experiences an hourly traffic flow upwards of 2400 vehicles.^[6] On the westernmost end of the road, Puente San Antonio connects the road with PR-9, also called Avenida Baramaya.^[2]: 251

Major intersections

The entire route is located in Ponce. 

• 
  PR-12 north near its exit to PR-163 (Avenida Las Américas)
• 
  PR-123 north approaching PR-163 (Avenida Las Américas) junction
• 
  Avenida Eduardo Ruberté Bisó at PR-163 (Avenida Las Américas) junction

Location	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Canas Urbano	4.5	2.8	PR-500	Western terminus of PR-163
	3.8	2.4	Avenida Eduardo Ruberté Bisó
	3.3	2.1	PR-2R
	2.5	1.6	Avenida Luis Muñoz Rivera / Calle Capitán Correa
	1.6	0.99	PR-123 – Ponce Centro, Ponce Playa
San Antón	0.85– 0.75	0.53– 0.47	PR-12 – Ponce Playa, Mayagüez, Juana Díaz	Diamond interchange
	0.65	0.40	Avenida Las Américas / Avenida Julio Enrique Monagas / Calle Marzo Cabrera	Eastern terminus of PR-163 through Bulevar Luis A. Ferré (Avenida Las Américas) and western terminus of PR-163 through Avenida Julio Enrique Monagas
	0.0	0.0	PR-2	Eastern terminus of PR-163
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Route transition

See also

• Puerto Rico portal
• U.S. Roads portal

• List of highways in Ponce, Puerto Rico
• List of streets in Ponce, Puerto Rico

References

1. "PR-163" (Map). Google Maps. Google. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
2. Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003.
3. "Tránsito Promedio Diario (AADT)". Transit Data (Datos de Transito) (in Spanish). DTOP PR. p. 86. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019.
4. "Exceptional Works at Ponce Museum of Art". Puerto Rico Channel. NewMedia Holdings. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
5. Rodríguez Grafal, Jason (5 March 2010). "La Escuela de Arquitectura: Coquetea con la Internacionalización". Periodico La Perla: El Periodico de Ponce y la Region Sur de Puerto Rico. (in Spanish) (Electronic ed.). Ponce, Puerto Rico. Noticia Locales section. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
6. "Repavimentarán tramo de la Avenida Las Américas en Ponce". El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.

External links

• Historia de las Carreteras de Puerto Rico. (in Spanish)
• Domenech, Manuel Victor (April 1919). "Roads in Porto Rico". The Overland Monthly. 73 (4): 321.
• Guía de Carreteras Principales, Expresos y Autopistas (in Spanish)