Quezon Avenue
Lined with palm trees and other species of tree on its center island and spanning six to fourteen lanes, it is a major north-south and east-west corridor of Quezon City. Many government and commercial buildings line the road. At its north end, Triangle Park, one of Quezon City's Central Business Districts, is the third most important industrial center in the city. At its south end, it connects Quezon City to the capital Manila. It is a regular route for vehicles from Quezon City leading to Manila, as the highway provides access to Quiapo and the University Belt.
History
The avenue was developed as part of a road plan to connect the government center of Manila in Rizal Park to the proposed new capital on the Diliman Estate. It was also referred to as Quezon Boulevard Extension, Calle España, and Malawen Boulevard. During World War II, its section in Diliman Estate served as a runway of the Quezon Airfield, along with the Manila Circumferential Road (now EDSA).
The road, much like Commonwealth Avenue, was then named Don Mariano Marcos Avenue to honor Mariano Marcos, the father of President Ferdinand Marcos. The road was renamed Quezon Avenue after former president Manuel Quezon following the 1986 People Power Revolution with the ascension of Corazon Aquino as president. It originally started at EDSA, but the portion between the Elliptical Road and EDSA, which used to be named Commonwealth Avenue extension, became a part of the road. With the passing of the 1987 Constitution, Quezon City had four legislative districts until two new districts were added in 2013. The west of Quezon Avenue constitutes the first district, while the east constitutes the fourth district.
U-turn slots
In 2003, after the perceived effectiveness of EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue and Marcos Highway, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implemented the "clearway scheme"; this prohibited crossings and left turns on the avenue. In place of left turns, the MMDA has constructed U-turn slots 100 to 200 meters (330 to 660 ft) away from the intersections to allow vehicles to reach their destination.
The MMDA would later backpedal on the scheme in 2014 by reverting some intersections along Quezon Avenue to traffic light-signalized ones.
Quezon Avenue–Araneta Avenue underpass
In June 2011, a 440-meter (1,440 ft) four-lane underpass was started along the Gregorio Araneta Avenue Intersection. The construction was slated to take up to 15 months. In September 2012, President Benigno Aquino III opened the underpass to the public. The project cost ₱452 million or below the ₱534 million budget allocated.
Motorcycle lanes
In 2012, the MMDA instituted motorcycle lanes on the avenue. The lanes are painted blue and are meant exclusively for motorcycle riders. This comes after the effectiveness of the "blue lanes" on EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue, and Macapagal Boulevard, although the blue lane on EDSA is not exclusive to motorcycles.
Intersections
The entire route is located in Quezon City. Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero.
km | mi | Destinations | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
6.529 | 4.057 | N170 (Elliptical Road) | Northeastern terminus. Continues to Fairview as Commonwealth Avenue. | ||
Northeastern end of Quezon Avenue–EDSA Underpass | |||||
Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue (formerly Agham and BIR Roads) | Accessible from service roads only. Traffic light intersection. | ||||
AH 26 (N1) (EDSA) – Cubao, Makati, Monumento | Traffic light intersection | ||||
Sergeant Esguerra Avenue | Accessible from service roads only. Northbound segment provides access to Timog Avenue. | ||||
Southwestern end of Quezon Avenue–EDSA Underpass | |||||
Scout Albano Street/Examiner Street | Traffic light intersection. Access to West Avenue (Examiner side); access to Mo. Ignacia Ave. and Eugenio Lopez Drive (Sct. Albano side) | ||||
Scout Borromeo Street/West 4th Street | Traffic light intersection. | ||||
Scout Santiago Street/West 6th Street | No access from opposite directions. | ||||
N171 (West Avenue) / N172 (Timog Avenue) | Traffic light intersection | ||||
Jose Abad Santos Street | Southbound only | ||||
Scout Reyes Street | Northbound only | ||||
Scout Magbanua Street | Northbound only | ||||
Don Alejandro Roces Avenue | Southbound access by U-turn only. Access to Tomas Morato Avenue and Kamuning Road. | ||||
Fernando Poe Jr. Avenue (formerly Roosevelt Avenue) | Northbound access by U-turn only. Access to San Francisco del Monte and Project 7. Former traffic light intersection. | ||||
Dr. Garcia Street | Northbound only | ||||
General Lim Street | Southbound only | ||||
Scout Chuatoco Street | Northbound only. Access to New Manila and E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave, Hemady Street, and Gilmore Avenue. | ||||
7.200 | 4.474 | Quezon Avenue Bridge over San Juan River | |||
Northeastern end of G. Araneta Underpass | |||||
N130 (Gregorio Araneta Avenue) | Traffic light intersection. No left turn allowed from both directions. Also provides access to Skyway. | ||||
Santo Domingo Avenue | Access from southbound service road only | ||||
Southwestern end of G. Araneta Underpass | |||||
Tuayan (Raymundo Familara) Street | Access from northbound service road only | ||||
Biak na Bato Street | Southbound only | ||||
Victory Avenue | Northbound only | ||||
Banawe Street | Opposite segments accessible via U-turn slots. Former Traffic light intersection. | ||||
Cordillera Street | Opposite segments accessible via U-turn slots | ||||
D. Tuazon Street (formerly Sobriedad Street) | Traffic light intersection | ||||
Speaker Perez Street | Southbound only | ||||
Apo Street | Southbound only | ||||
Kanlaon Street | Southbound only | ||||
Kitanlad Street | Northbound only | ||||
11.547 | 7.175 | N170 (España Boulevard) / E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue / Mayon Street / Nicanor Ramirez Street | Welcome Rotonda; Southwestern terminus. Continues to Quiapo as España Boulevard. | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
Landmarks
Starting from its western terminus:
- Mabuhay Rotonda
- Santo Domingo Church
- Fisher Mall
- Delta Theatre (Dela Merced Building, soon-to-be-converted by DMCI into a mixed-use residential project)
- Crossings Department Store and Supermarket
- Capitol Medical Center
- The Skysuites Tower
- DILG-NAPOLCOM Center
- Eton Centris
- Bantayog ng mga Bayani Center
- Quezon Avenue Station construction, Metro Manila Subway
- Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Depot
- National Power Corporation
- National Transmission Corporation
- National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
- Philippine Children's Medical Center
- Lung Center of the Philippines
- Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center
- Quezon Memorial Circle
See also
- Commonwealth Avenue, eastern extension of Quezon Avenue starting from the Quezon Memorial Circle
- España Boulevard, western extension of Quezon Avenue starting from Mabuhay Rotonda.
- Major roads in Metro Manila
References
- ^ "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ Bueza, Michael (October 12, 2014). "What Quezon City could have looked like". Rappler. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Batas Pambansa Blg. 685 (March 7, 1984), An Act Renaming Timog Avenue and East Avenue as Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, The Corpus Juris, retrieved September 26, 2021
- ^ Manila, Philippines map (Map). American Red Cross Service Bureau. August 1945. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ "Map of North Avenue Airfield (Quezon Airfield) in Quezon north of Manila". Pacific Wrecks. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Manila and Suburbs, (Japanese Airfields) Philippines (Map). July 25, 1944. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "All set for Quezon Avenue clearway". Philippine Star. August 14, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ Brizuela, Maricar (August 11, 2014). "MMDA reactivates traffic signals along Quezon Ave. to replace U-turn slots". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ Kwok, Abigail (June 20, 2011). "Underpass construction on Quezon, Araneta Avenues start". Interaksyon.com. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ "P452-M Quezon-Araneta underpass opens today". ABS-CBNnews.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ Melican, Nathaniel (February 14, 2012). "MMDA sees safer EDSA with motorcycle lanes". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ "DMCI Homes buys Delta building in QC". The Standard. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ Cabuenas, Jon Victor (September 30, 2024). "Metro Manila Subway: When Right of Way Gets in the Way". GMA Network. Retrieved October 9, 2024.