In 1965, the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority (PRHTA, also known as Autoridad de Carreteras) was created to manage and develop a network of toll roads throughout Puerto Rico. Between 1964 and 1968, Wilbur Smith & Associates and Padilla Garcia & Asociados conducted a transportation and planning study in northern Puerto Rico, as well as a road needs and fiscal impact study to determine which routes would be beneficial to the island and financially feasible. The study concluded that PR-22, along with four other facilities, should be critical components of a strategic toll road system.
Construction of PR-22 began in segments in 1971. The first two segments, on opposite ends of the facility, from San Juan to Toa Baja (11 miles) and from Arecibo to Arecibo Ramp (13.5 miles) were completed in the 1970s. The intervening segment, Toa Baja to Arecibo Ramp (26.5 miles) was completed in the early 1980s. In March 2004, PRHTA began to introduce electronic toll collection on the facility.
At the time of the 1968 study, PR-2 was an existing parallel route to the planned PR-22. After completion of the 52-mile PR-22 facility, plans called for an extension 30 miles west from Arecibo to Aguadilla to complete a circuitous express highway connection on the island. At this time, PR-2, the parallel facility, was a toll-free alternative. PR-2 is a local route with traffic lights and reduced speeds that result in slower travel times compared to PR-22. Ultimately, the planned PR-22 extension was not constructed due to the inability to acquire sufficient right-of-way. In its place, PR-2 from Arecibo to Aguadilla was widened to a four lanes. Today, using PR-2 as a toll-free alternative to PR-22 adds 45 minutes of travel time between San Juan and Arecibo.
PR-5 opened in February 2006, extending from Cataño south to Bayamón. It connects to several major highways in the San Juan metropolitan area, including PR-22, PR-6, PR-2 and PR-199.