Jose Abad Santos Avenue

The Jose Abad Santos Avenue, also known as Olongapo–Gapan Road and Gapan–San Fernando–Olongapo Road is a 118-kilometer (73 mi) major highway spanning the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales in Central Luzon, Philippines. The highway is designated as the National Route 3 (N3) of the Philippine highway network.[1]

For the road with same name in Metro Manila, see Abad Santos Avenue.

Jose Abad Santos Avenue
Olongapo–Gapan Road Gapan–San Fernando–Olongapo Road
Driving eastbound through San Fernando, Pampanga
Route information
Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways
Length	118 km (73 mi)
Component highways	N3
Major junctions
East end	N1 / AH26 (Maharlika Highway) in Gapan
	E1 (North Luzon Expressway) in San Fernando, Pampanga N2 (MacArthur Highway) in San Fernando, Pampanga N301 (Roman Superhighway) in Dinalupihan, Bataan N217 (Angeles–Porac–Floridablanca–Dinalupihan Road / J.P. Rizal Street) in Dinalupihan, Bataan N214 (Tabacan Poblacion Road) in Dinalupihan, Bataan E4 (Subic–Tipo Expressway) in Dinalupihan, Bataan
West end	N305 (Rizal Avenue) / N306 (Olongapo–Bugallon Road) in Olongapo
Location
Provinces	Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales
Major cities	Gapan, San Fernando, Olongapo
Towns	San Isidro, Cabiao, Arayat, Santa Ana, Mexico, Bacolor, Guagua, Lubao, Hermosa, Dinalupihan
Highway system
Roads in the Philippines Highways Expressways List ← N2 N4 →

Etymology

Jose Abad Santos Avenue was named in honor of José Abad Santos, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, who was executed by the Japanese invading forces during World War II. The avenue was formerly called Olongapo–Gapan Road and Gapan–San Fernando–Olongapo Road. The name was changed in line with Republic Act No. 9477 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on May 22, 2007. Nowadays, the avenue is commonly referred to by its acronym JASA, however, its old name is still used.[2]

History

Jose Abad Santos Avenue traces its roots to the pre-colonial period. The Kapampangan empire expanded their trades throughout Central Luzon, forcing them to create roads adjacent to the Pampanga River. Since Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, and Rizal (Metro Manila) are readily accessible because the road networks to that locations exist, the empire could not access the province of Zambales and Bataan. Through the years, they developed land tracks accessible by foot and small wagons pulled by horses.

When the Spanish colonials came in the Philippines, they developed the road built by the old empire. They widened the road, constructed wooden bridges, and connected it to the Olongapo, a very vital location which enabled them to easily access the Subic Bay, the site of their Naval Base.

When the Americans came, they paved the Olongapo Gapan Road and constructed concrete bridges, the longest is the one that traverses Great Pampanga River. These actions enabled them to connect their Air Field in Clark and their Naval Base in Subic Bay. Greater improvements on the road was made on this period.

When the World War II started, the Olongapo Gapan Road was crippled, halting the transportation throughout the entire span of the road. The Japanese bombed the road to stop the Americans and Filipino in the fortification of different bases which spans through the Central Luzon.

After the end of the War, the Philippine Government rehabilitated and repaired the whole road, paving all of the 118-kilometer long highway. New bridges was constructed, shoulders were improved and added some facilities.

During the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991, some portions of a highway, especially its Bacolor and Magliman, San Fernando section, were buried in lahar and many bridges were destroyed. A year after the disaster, these sections were rehabilitated, which involved building new roads and bridges.

Today, Olongapo–Gapan Road, now called Jose Abad Santos Avenue and designated as National Route 3 of the Philippine highway network, is the most significant toll-free road that connects Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales.

Route description

The road passes to Gapan, San Isidro, and Cabiao in Nueva Ecija, Santa Ana, Arayat, Mexico, City of San Fernando, Bacolor, Guagua, and Lubao in Pampanga, Hermosa and Dinalupihan in Bataan, and finally to the city of Olongapo in Zambales.[3] Various high voltage overhead power lines, most notably the Hermosa–Duhat–Balintawak and Hermosa–Calaguiman transmission lines of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), utilize the highway right of way from San Fernando Exit of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to Layac Junction for accessibility to work vehicles and also due to scarcity of land for dedicated right of way. The San Fernando segment of the Hermosa–Duhat–Balintawak line itself is undergoing relocation to alleviate heavy traffic along the avenue due to the presence of its electric poles standing on the highway itself, and to pave the way for the expansion of some segments of the avenue, particularly at Barangay Dolores.[4]

Gapan to San Fernando

A portion of the road between MacArthur Highway and North Luzon Expressway (NLEx).

The road starts on Pan-Philippine Highway (N1/AH26) in the city of Gapan in Nueva Ecija. It enters San Isidro where the road turns westward. A few meters is Cabiao where the road continues straightforward, again turning westward then eastward, entering Pampanga, and passes through Pampanga River. It then passes through residential areas and institutions within the municipalities of Arayat, Santa Ana, and Mexico before entering San Fernando. The SM City Pampanga and Robinson Starmills malls can be seen on a boundary between Mexico and City of San Fernando. It intersects with North Luzon Expressway after passing these two malls. It crosses MacArthur Highway through Dolores Flyover, continues on a straight route, with its city proper being visible from the highway, with another flyover named Lazatin Flyover through Lazatin Boulevard. A few meters past the flyover is San Fernando Central Transport Terminal. The city's welcome sign could be located on this portion and after it, the highway enters Bacolor.

Bacolor to Olongapo

Upon entering Bacolor, the road turns eastward and passes through the lahar-filled Pasig-Potrero River. It passes through Bacolor town proper, with its parish church being visible from the highway and a restaurant named Apag Marangle. It continues on a straight direction, intersects with Guagua-Santa Rita Provincial Road and San Antonio-Siran Road, turns westward, and enters Lubao after passing the second road mentioned before. It continues straightforward, passing through residential areas and establishments within the municipality and parallels the Lubao Old National Road. It then passes through Porac Gumain River, Barangays Sta. Cruz, Lourdes, San Isidro, and Prado Siongco before entering Bataan through the Pampanga Welcome marker. The Lubao Bypass Road parallels the highway starting on a said river until Barangay Lourdes in Lubao. The road continues straightforward and after a few meters, it enters Dinalupihan. The highway then passes through Layac Junction where it turns right. It will pass on various establishments and residential areas within the municipality. It turns westward and crosses below the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). It then parallels into it, continues on a straight direction, passes through barangays San Benito, Colo, Naparing, Happy Valley, and Roosevelt National Park Protected Area, and the eastern end of Subic–Tipo Expressway. It enters Zambales a few meters after the said exit and continues on a zigzag pattern before passing through residential areas within Olongapo. The road then continues to National Highway (N306) at its terminus at the Ulo ng Apo Rotonda.

Intersections

Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer 0. 

}}

Province	City/Municipality	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Nueva Ecija	Gapan	90	56	N1 / AH26 (Pan-Philippine Highway)	Eastern terminus
Pampanga	Arayat	87.9	54.6	Mt. Arayat National Park Road	Serves Mt. Arayat National Park
		81.5	50.6	Arayat–Magalang Road
	Santa Ana			Baliwag–Candaba–Santa Ana Road
	Mexico			Bahay Pare–San Luis–Santo Domingo Road / Tulauc–Santo Domingo Road	Roundabout intersection
				San Fernando–Lagundi Road
	San Fernando	65	40	E1 (North Luzon Expressway)	NLEX-San Fernando Exit
				N2 (MacArthur Highway)	Crossing motorists are carried by Dolores Flyover
				Lazatin Boulevard	Crossing motorists are carried by Lazatin Flyover
	Bacolor			Mega Dike Access Road
	Guagua			San Antonio–Floridablanca Road
	Lubao			San Fernando–Lubao Road
Bataan	Dinalupihan	101	63	N301 (Roman Superhighway)
				N217 (Angeles–Porac–Floridablanca–Dinalupihan Road / J.P. Rizal Street)
				N214 (Tabacan Poblacion Road)
				E4 (Subic–Tipo Expressway)
Olongapo				N305 (Rizal Avenue) / N306 (Olongapo–Bugallon Road)	Ulo ng Apo roundabout. Western terminus.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Landmarks

The façade of SM City Pampanga

The Jose Abad Santos Avenue spans for about 118 kilometers, thus, many establishments and landmarks are built alongside the highway. This landmarks are malls, historical sites, government facilities, and many more other establishments. Two major shopping malls along the road are SM City Pampanga, the second largest mall in Northern and Central Luzon, and Robinsons Starmills Pampanga.

References

1. "Jose Abad Santos Avenue". ph.geoview.info. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
2. "Republic Act No. 9477 | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
3. "Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo Road: San Fernando". Caught (up) in traffic. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
4. Arcellaz, Princess Clea (1 August 2019). "NGCP starts 'relocation' of Jasa electric posts". Retrieved 18 December 2019.