ACT to fully close PR-1 in La Muda, Guaynabo, all weekend for steel beam installation

The Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (ACT) announced it will fully close a stretch of PR-1 in the La Muda sector of Guaynabo from Friday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m. through Monday, September 28 at 5:00 a.m. The closure will allow the Puerto Rico Infrastructure Financing Authority (AFI) to install steel beams as part of the improvement project for the intersection of highways PR-1, PR-169 and PR-8834, one of the busiest crossings in the metro area ¹².

Background

La Muda is the point where the Rafael Martinez Nadal Expressway (PR-20) branches off from PR-1, and where PR-169 and PR-8834 also converge. Thousands of drivers moving daily between Caguas, San Juan, Bayamon and Toa Baja pass through this junction, which has for months been the site of widening and roadway reconfiguration work led by AFI. This is not one of the overnight lane closures previously reported in the area -- it is the first full, entire-weekend closure tied directly to the structural steel installation phase of the project ¹³.

The numbers

The affected stretch runs from kilometer 20.6 to kilometer 21.4 of PR-1, in La Muda. PR-169 will also be closed using physical barriers in the area under the PR-20 overpass ¹². ACT, acting on behalf of AFI, has not disclosed the total cost of the intersection improvement project nor a completion date for the full build; it only confirmed the 57-hour closure window, from 8:00 p.m. Friday to 5:00 a.m. Monday ²³. The designated detour routes are as follows: vehicles headed to Caguas, San Juan and PR-8834 must detour via Avenida Martinez Nadal; drivers on PR-1 heading from San Juan toward Caguas must take the ramp in front of the Total gas station; those traveling from Caguas toward San Juan must, after crossing the Martinez Nadal Avenue bridge, use the secondary bridge that connects to PR-8834; and those exiting PR-8834 toward Caguas or PR-169 must make a U-turn at the Gulf station on PR-1 and take the Total station ramp toward PR-169 ¹²⁴.

What this means for you

If you work, study or have medical appointments in the metro area and normally cross through La Muda, your usual route will not exist for 57 straight hours this weekend. The impact is greatest for residents of Caguas, Trujillo Alto or Gurabo who use PR-1 or PR-20 to reach San Juan, as well as for Guaynabo and Bayamon residents who rely on PR-169 to connect to PR-1. The alternate routes add travel time, especially Saturday and Sunday when there is also leisure, shopping and event traffic around Plaza Las Americas and downtown San Juan. Summer school transport drivers, public bus operators and delivery services will also need to adjust schedules that weekend.

How to handle it / Checklist

1. Avoid PR-1 entirely between kilometers 20.6 and 21.4 in Guaynabo from Friday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m. through Monday, September 28 at 5:00 a.m.
2. If heading from San Juan toward Caguas on PR-1, take the ramp in front of the Total gas station to detour before reaching La Muda.
3. If heading from Caguas toward San Juan, cross the Martinez Nadal Avenue bridge, then use the secondary bridge that connects to PR-8834.
4. If you normally use PR-169, plan a full alternate route -- it will be closed with barriers under the PR-20 overpass for the entire closure.
5. Leave at least 20 to 30 extra minutes if you have commitments Saturday or Sunday in San Juan, Bayamon or Caguas.
6. Check the ACT Informa account and Waze or Google Maps Friday night, since detours may be adjusted as the beam installation progresses.
7. If you live in La Muda or nearby areas, confirm with your employer or school whether there is schedule flexibility that Monday morning, in case the closure runs past 5:00 a.m.

What's next

Neither ACT nor AFI has specified how many additional closure phases the PR-1, PR-169 and PR-8834 intersection project will require, or when the improvement work will be fully completed. Steel beam installation is typically one of the most visible stages of this kind of build, suggesting the elevated structure or new interchange link is already well underway. Additional closures, likely also on weekends, should be expected in the coming months as work progresses. CoquiList will continue tracking the project and update readers on any new closure dates and on the total cost and completion timeline once ACT or AFI make that information public.