Roxas Boulevard

Roxas Boulevard is a popular waterfront promenade in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a trademark of Philippine tourism, famed for its yacht club, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and parks. Originally called Cavite Boulevard,[5] it was renamed Dewey Boulevard in honor of the American Admiral George Dewey, whose forces defeated the Spanish navy in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. The boulevard was again renamed to Heiwa Boulevard in late 1941 during Japanese Home Rule and Roxas Boulevard in the 1960s to honor President Manuel Roxas, the fifth president of the Republic of Philippines.



Roxas Boulevard
Map of Roxas Boulevard in Metro Manila
Roxas Boulevard along the Manila Bay
Route information
Auxiliary route of AH26
Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways[1][2]
Length7.6 km (4.7 mi)
Existed1910s–present
Component
highways
  • R-1 R-1
  • N120 / AH26 from Padre Burgos Avenue to EDSA
  • N61 from EDSA to NAIA Road
Major junctions
North end N120 / AH26 (Bonifacio Drive) / N150 (Padre Burgos Avenue) / Katigbak Parkway in Ermita, Manila[3][4]
 
South end E3 (Manila–Cavite Expressway) / N194 (NAIA Road) / Seaside Drive in Parañaque
Location
Major citiesManila, Pasay, Parañaque
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines

The boulevard is also an eight-lane major arterial road in Metro Manila designated as Radial Road 1 (R-1) of Manila's arterial road network, National Route 61 (N61) and National Route 120 (N120) of the Philippine highway network and a spur of Asian Highway 26 (AH26). The arcing road runs in a north-south direction from Luneta in Manila and ends in Parañaque at the intersection of NAIA Road and the elevated NAIA Expressway.[6] Beyond its southern terminus, starts the Manila-Cavite Expressway, also known as the Coastal Road, or more recently, CAVITEX.

History
Daniel Burnham's plan of the sea boulevard from Manila to Cavite

City Beautiful movement

The Cavite Boulevard was part of Architect Daniel Burnham's plan for beautifying the city of Manila.[7] At the request of Commissioner William Cameron Forbes, Burnham visited the country in 1905 at the height of the City Beautiful movement, a trend in the early 1900s in America for making cities beautiful along scientific lines, for the future urban development of Manila and Baguio.[8]

Original concept
Construction of Cavite Boulevard, 1912

According to Burnham's original concept of the Cavite Boulevard, the bayfront from the Luneta southward should be a continuous parkway, extending in the course of time all the way to the Cavite Navy Yard about 20 miles (32 km) away. This boulevard, about 250 ft (76 m) in width, with roadways, tramways, bridle path, rich plantations, and broad sidewalks, should be available for all classes of people in all sorts of conveyances, and so well shaded with coconut palms, bamboo, and mangoes as to furnish protection from the elements at all times.

"In order to make the boulevard presentable and useful as soon as possible, a quick-growing tree like the acacia might be planted, alternating with the trees of slower growth, and be replaced after the latter attain their growth. The boulevard's seaward side should be planted so as to interrupt occasionally the view of the sea and, by thus adding somewhat of mystery, enhance the value of the stretch of ocean and sky. The boulevard would be on reclaimed land to about as far south as the Old Fort San Antonio Abad in Malate, beyond which it strikes the beach and follows the shore line to Cavite. The possible extension of the ocean boulevard along the north shore would naturally depend upon the development of the town in that direction and upon the question of additional harbor works north of the Pasig River."[8]

Route description

Roxas Boulevard starts at Rizal Park as a physical continuation of Bonifacio Drive. The road passes through many tall buildings, restaurants, banks, monuments, and other establishments. The United States Embassy is located in the vicinity of Rizal Park; a kilometer south, the headquarters of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Philippine Navy are located within the Malate district of Manila. After the BSP building, the boulevard enters Pasay, passing through the CCP Complex and Star City. It then intersects with Gil Puyat Avenue and Jose Diokno Boulevard, where it ascends through the Gil Puyat Flyover. It then parallels Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. It ascends again to intersect EDSA through the flyover of the same name. A few meters after passing EDSA, it enters Parañaque, continues into a straight route until it ends on an intersection with NAIA Road, where the road continues south as Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), which is also known as Coastal Road.

Landmarks
The historic Rizal Park marks the northern end of the boulevard
The Malate section of Roxas Boulevard is famous for Baywalk and Plaza Rajah Sulayman
Manila's Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard

Parks

CCP Complex
Main article: Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex

Convention and trade center

Government buildings

Foreign embassies
  • Embassy of the United States in Manila
  • Embassy of Japan in Manila

Museums

Hospitals

Hotels

Yacht club
  • Manila Yacht Club

Educational Institutions

Intersections
Roxas Boulevard facing south, showing the Manila Yacht Club and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.
Roxas Boulevard facing north from Baclaran area, Pasay.

Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometre 0. The kilometer count is discontinuous. 

ProvinceCity/Municipalitykm[1][2]miDestinationsNotes
Parañaque7.4444.625 N194 (NAIA Road) / Seaside DriveSouthern terminus. Continues south as E3 (CAVITEx).
6.5464.067Asean AvenueSouthbound access only. Northbound access via U-turn slot under EDSA Flyover. Also known as Aseana Avenue.
6.3483.944 N192 (Airport Road)No left turn allowed from southbound.
6.0993.790Bradco AvenueSouthbound access only. Northbound access via U-turn slot under EDSA Flyover.
5.8113.611Redemptorist RoadNorthbound access only.
PasaySouth end of EDSA Flyover
5.2563.266 N1 / AH26 (EDSA)End of AH26 overlap. Route number change from N61 to N120.
North end of EDSA Flyover
4.1912.604Arnaiz AvenueNorthbound access only. Southbound access via U-turn slot under EDSA Flyover
South end of Gil Puyat Flyover
4.4692.777 N190 (Gil Puyat Avenue) / Jose Diokno Boulevard
North end of Gil Puyat Flyover
Manila2.5811.604Pablo Ocampo Street / Pedro Bukaneg StreetNo left turn allowed from northbound and southbound.
2.1211.318 N140 (Quirino Avenue)
2.3491.460San Andres StreetNorthbound access only.
Remedios StreetNorthbound access only.
1.0620.660Pedro Gil Street
Padre Faura StreetNorthbound access only.
N156 (United Nations Avenue)
N155 (Kalaw Avenue) / South Drive
0.0000.000Kilometer zero (Kilometer count reverses)
0.2050.127 N150 (Padre Burgos Avenue) / Katigbak ParkwayNorthern terminus. Continues north as N120 / AH26 (Bonifacio Drive).
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
gollark: I've switched it over to use pleasant orange colors.
gollark: We could build it into ABR.
gollark: Hmm, "dark orange" looks similar to "rust".
gollark: Yes/
gollark: I can actually obtain pens for 7p/unit.

See also
  • Baywalk
  • Major roads in Metro Manila

References
  1. "South Manila". DPWH Road Atlas. Department of Public Works and Highways. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-12.
  2. "Metro Manila 2nd". DPWH Road Atlas. Department of Public Works and Highways.
  3. "Manila map". University of Texas at Austin Library. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
  4. "Rizal Park-Manila Map". Google Maps. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
  5. "United States Congressional serial set, Issue 5280 - Act no. 1745, Section 2a", pg. 417. Government Printing Office, Washington.
  6. "Intersection of Roxas Blvd. and NAIA Rd". Google Maps. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
  7. (1910). "Report of the Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War", pg.68. Government Printing Office, Washington.
  8. (1907-03). "Far Eastern Review - Details and Description of the Burnham Plans for the Reconstruction of Manila", pg.322. Google Books. Retrieved on 2012-04-13.

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