The history of the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge project can be traced back to the late 1980s when the municipalities of San Juan and Carolina faced a growing population and severe traffic congestion. At the same time, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico sought to improve connectivity and access to the Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, located just north of the San José Lagoon.
In the late 1980s, the Commonwealth also initiated a new program for developing privatized toll roads to complement its traditional highway program. The goal was to expedite the development of new strategic highway corridors to address traffic congestion in its largest metropolitan regions, San Juan and Ponce. Two projects were initially contemplated: the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge (then referred to as the San José Lagoon Bridge) and PR 66, a planned expressway between San Juan and Fajardo.