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España Boulevard

Coordinates: 14°37′3″N 121°0′4″E / 14.61750°N 121.00111°E / 14.61750; 121.00111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

España Boulevard

R-7
Street sign for España Boulevard used in Manila
View of the España Boulevard in Manila, looking towards northeast. The boulevard has 8 lanes and also has anti-jaywalking barriers along its entire length (except for at-grade pedestrian crossings and some intersections)
España Boulevard view north from the Morayta footbridge
Former name(s)Quezon Boulevard[1]
Namesake Spain
Length2.048 km (1.273 mi)
Component
highways
Northeast endWelcome Rotonda in Quezon City
Major
junctions
Southwest end N170 (Lerma Street) / Nicanor Reyes Street in Sampaloc, Manila
Construction
Construction start1913

España Boulevard is an eight–lane major thoroughfare in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is named after Spain, the country that formerly held the Philippines as a colony for more than 300 years. True to its name, several Spanish names abound on the street. It starts at the Welcome Rotonda near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila and ends with a Y-intersection with Lerma and Nicanor Reyes Streets in Manila.

History

[edit]
The boulevard with heavy afternoon rush hour traffic
España Boulevard during its usual afternoon rush hour traffic
Aerial view of the boulevard's southwestern terminus with Nicanor Reyes Street to the left (obscured by buildings) and Lerma Street to the right
Aerial view near the University Belt

Before becoming what it is today, the boulevard was a part of the Hacienda de Sulucan, one of the ten barrios which formed Sampaloc. In 1694, the hacienda was donated to the sisters of the Monasterio de Santa Clara. In 1905, it was turned over to the Sulucan Development Corporation. The road was constructed in 1913 as an access road to Sulucan, under the condition of being named "España".[2]

The boulevard was once part of Quezon Boulevard, and it is part of the national road plan to connect the government center of Manila in Rizal Park to the proposed new capital on the Diliman estate.[3]

Notable landmarks

[edit]
The boulevard at night looking towards northeast
España Boulevard near University of Santo Tomas
A marble monument, monolithic in structure, situated on a traffic island painted red and yellow. The monument has text near its top which says: "WELCOME QUEZON CITY"
The Welcome Rotonda, also called the Mabuhay Rotonda

España Boulevard is an east–west artery in Manila. It connects Lerma and Nicanor Reyes (formerly Morayta) streets of Sampaloc district at the west end to the Mabuhay (or Welcome) Rotonda, Quezon City at the east end. The entire street is straddled by a center island, only broken at major intersections and the railroad crossing. Vehicles can make a left-turn only on two intersections: southward to Lacson Avenue and at the western terminus to Nicanor Reyes Street. España Boulevard is 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) long.

España Boulevard's north side is westbound (Manila-bound), while the south side is eastbound (Quezon City-bound). Buses, taxis, jeepneys, cabriolets, and UV Express vehicles serve commuters.

Quezon City

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At the eastern terminus is the Welcome Rotonda, also called the Mabuhay Rotonda, which connects España Boulevard with Quezon Avenue, Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue, and Mayon. Quezon Avenue leads to EDSA and ultimately to the Quezon Memorial Circle. E. Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue leads to the Cubao district of Quezon City, a popular shopping place. Mayon leads to A. Bonifacio Avenue and ultimately to the North Luzon Expressway.

Manila

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The first major intersection is Blumentritt Road. The Philippine National Railways tracks cross the boulevard between Antipolo and Algeciras streets. The España railway station is also located here. Between Lacson Avenue and Padre Noval Street is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas.

España Boulevard ends at the junction of Nicanor Reyes (formerly called Morayta) and Lerma Streets. Nicanor Reyes Street leads to Claro M. Recto Avenue, while Lerma Street, on the other hand, leads to Quezon Boulevard.

Notable events

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España Boulevard is infamous for its floods during the rainy season. This is because it serves as a catch basin for runoff water from higher-elevated Quezon City, as Sampaloc was a swamp marsh area. It is common to find people wading in waist-deep floods, especially when a typhoon passes through Manila, causing class suspensions.[4]

On August 31, 1983, Marcos opposition figure and former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.'s funeral procession passed through España on its way to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque from Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City. It was joined by millions of Filipinos.[5] Fernando Poe, Jr.'s funeral procession also passed through España on its way to Manila North Cemetery from the same church on December 22, 2004. As many as 3 million people took part in the funeral procession.[6]

A new mass-transit line has been planned several times to cross España Boulevard, the first one being called MRT-4.[7] The said MRT line would traverse the boulevard until it reaches San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, which has been shelved in favor of the MRT-7 line that diverted and cut short the terminus at North Avenue. After the MRT-7 proposal was awarded, the plans were revived to create a separate line for the remainder of the alignment from the original MRT-4 proposal that the MRT-7 left out, which was named MRT-9 that was envisioned to traverse from Lerma to North Avenue. Subsequently, this was again shelved in favor of a BRT line that traverses from Lerma to UP Diliman but was again shelved now in favor of an unsolicited proposal put up by PNR and Alloy MTD using the same remaining MRT-4 and BRT alignment with the working project name "PNR East-West Rail" and is believed to be officially numbered Line 8, should the proposal push through.

The boulevard also provides access to NLEX Connector (NLEX–SLEX Connector Road) via Antipolo Street onto España Exit.[8]

The house of the longest-serving Mayor of Manila, Ramon Bagatsing, is on Kundiman Street, on the boulevard's north side. Many people used to flock to his residence as it was open to all his constituents, becoming the de facto public service assistance center for Manila's poor and underprivileged. Today, the Bagatsing compound extends to the parallel Craig Street.

España is also frequently used by anti-government protesters as a gathering area due to its proximity to Mendiola, which ends at Malacañan Palace, the presidential residence.[9]

Intersections

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Refer to caption
Railroad crossing at España Boulevard, beneath NLEX Connector

Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero. 

ProvinceCity/Municipalitykm[10]miDestinationsNotes
Quezon City N170 (Quezon Avenue), Mayon Avenue, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Nicanor Ramirez StreetWelcome Rotonda. Northern terminus. Continues to Elliptical Road as Quezon Avenue.
ManilaMacaraig StreetWestbound only.
Josefina Street
N161 (Blumentritt Road)Traffic light intersection.
Sisa Street
Instruccion Street
Basilio Street
Maceda (Washington) StreetTraffic light intersection.
Metrica Street
Craig Street
Kundiman Street
Eduardo Quintos Sr. Street
San Diego Street
Antipolo StreetRailroad crossing – PNR España Station. Access to España entry and exit ramps of NLEX Connector.
Algeciras StreetRailroad crossing – PNR España Station.
Prudencio Street
Ruperto Cristobal Sr. (Constancia) Street
Miguelin Street
Vicente G. Cruz (Economia) StreetTraffic light intersection. One-way road.
J. Marzan Street
Manuel Dela Fuente (Trabajo) StreetTraffic light intersection. One-way road.
Maria Cristina Street
Don Quijote Street
Carola StreetEastbound only.
Dos Castillas Street
Earnshaw (Bustillos) StreetEastbound only.
N140 (Arsenio H. Lacson Avenue)Traffic light intersection.
Valencia StreetEastbound only.
Extremadura StreetEastbound only.
Cayco StreetEastbound only.
42.5Quezon DriveWestbound only. University of Santo Tomas internal road.
Mariano Fortunato Jhocson StreetEastbound only.
Osmeña DriveWestbound only. University of Santo Tomas internal road.
Centro StreetEastbound only.
Moret StreetEastbound only.
Galicia StreetEastbound only.
Padre Noval StreetTraffic light intersection.
Eloisa StreetWestbound only.
Tolentino Street
Adelina StreetWestbound only.
Padre Campa Street
Paquita StreetWestbound only.
N170 (Lerma Street), Nicanor Reyes (Morayta) StreetSouthern terminus.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Landmarks

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From east to west:

References

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  1. ^ Table and Pocket Map Guide City of Manila (Map). J.M. Azucena Publishing. 1960. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "Kung bakit España ang tawag sa España Boulevard | the Varsitarian". Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  3. ^ name="quezonblvd">Table and Pocket Map Guide City of Manila (Map). J.M. Azucena Publishing. 1960. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  4. ^ "8 dead as floods hit Luzon". Manila Bulletin. August 26, 2004.
  5. ^ Robles, Raissa (August 25, 2014). "Ninoy's funeral was the day Filipinos stopped being afraid of dictators". ABS-CBN News.
  6. ^ "MASSIVE SECURITY FOR FPJ BURIAL". Philippine Headline News Online. December 22, 2004. Archived from the original on January 18, 2005.
  7. ^ DOTC to review MRT 4, Gov.ph. Accessed July 25, 2006.
  8. ^ Lopez, Melissa Luz (November 5, 2019). "Work begins for NLEX-SLEX Connector road". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019.
  9. ^ "Activists, cops clash near Malacañang; scores hurt". Sun Star Network Online. June 10, 2006. Archived from the original on June 22, 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2006.
  10. ^ "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to España Boulevard.

14°37′3″N 121°0′4″E / 14.61750°N 121.00111°E / 14.61750; 121.00111

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