Puerto Rico Highway 303
Ruta 303 | ||||
Ruta Extraterrestre[1] | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by Puerto Rico DTPW | ||||
Length | 14.7 km[1] (9.1 mi) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() | |||
East end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
Territory | Puerto Rico | |||
Municipalities | Cabo Rojo, Lajas | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Puerto Rico Highway 303 (PR-303) is a rural road stretching between the municipalities of Cabo Rojo and Lajas in Puerto Rico. It begins in PR-301, in southeastern Boquerón, Cabo Rojo, passing south of the Sierra Bermeja before leading northeast, where it passes PR-305 and ending at a junction with PR-101. The stretch of the road spanning the southern border of Sierra Bermeja is popularly known as the Puerto Rico Alien Route (Spanish: Ruta Extraterrestre) due to the number of UFO reports associated with the area it crosses.[2]
Route description
[edit]The area around Sierra Bermeja, particularly along the southern edge of the mountain range, has been associated with UFOs in Puerto Rican folklore and pop culture since the second half of the 20th century.[2] A green direction sign identifying the route as the Ruta Extraterrestre was installed in the early 2000s. However, it was removed when the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works rejected officially recognizing such designation on a state level. On April 9, 2005, Marcos "Turín" Irizarry Pagán, major of Lajas, proclaimed the section of PR-303 spanning the municipality between its municipal boundary with Cabo Rojo and the route's junction with PR-305. Nevertheless, the route is now promoted as a tourist attraction by the municipality of Lajas and by local businesses.[3][4][5]
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PR-303 heading east
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Signs for Ruta Extraterrestre on PR-303
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Lajas Valley from PR-303
Major intersections
[edit]Municipality | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cabo Rojo | Boquerón | 14.7 | 9.1 | ![]() | Western terminus of PR-303 |
Llanos Costa | 11.3 | 7.0 | ![]() | ||
Lajas | Palmarejo–Parguera line | 2.6 | 1.6 | ![]() | Southern terminus of PR-305 concurrency |
Palmarejo–Parguera– Sabana Yeguas tripoint | 2.5 | 1.6 | ![]() | Northern terminus of PR-305 concurrency | |
Palmarejo | 0.0 | 0.0 | ![]() | Eastern terminus of PR-303 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Overview Map of PR-303" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ a b "¿Extraterrestres visitan Puerto Rico?" [Do aliens visit Puerto Rico?]. Primera Hora (in Spanish). June 13, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Perez, Andrea (October 5, 2024). "Explora las 9 leyendas más extrañas de Puerto Rico" [Explore the 9 strangest legends of Puerto Rico]. PlateaPR (in Spanish). Retrieved April 25, 2025.
- ^ Olson, Alexandra (September 27, 2005). "En Puerto Rico construyen aeropuerto para ovnis" [In Puerto Rico they are building an airport for UFOs]. Laredo Morning Times.
- ^ "Ovnipuerto es sólo un rotulito con una nave" [UFOport is just a little sign with a ship on it]. Primera Hora (in Spanish). December 7, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
External links
[edit]Media related to Puerto Rico Highway 303 at Wikimedia Commons