Taft Avenue

Taft Avenue (Filipino: Abenida Taft; Spanish: Avenida Taft) is a major road in the south of Metro Manila. It passes through three cities in the metropolis: Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. The road was named after the former Governor-General of the Philippines and U.S. President, William Howard Taft. The Philippines was a former commonwealth territory of the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It is a component of National Route 170 (N170), a secondary road in the Philippine highway network and anchors R-2 of the Manila arterial road network. It was previously designated as N1 in the old route numbering system.

Taft Avenue
Calle Rizal
Manila Road
Taft Avenue in Pasay.
Route information
Component
highways
  • R-2 R-2
  • N170 from Padre Burgos Avenue to EDSA
Major junctions
North end N150 / N170 (Padre Burgos Avenue) in Manila
 
South endRedemptorist Road, Elpidio Quirino Avenue, and Harrison Avenue in Parañaque
Location
Major citiesParañaque, Pasay, Manila
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines

History
De La Salle University on Taft Avenue, circa 1920

Construction of this avenue, originally called "Calle Rizal", was completed in 1899, with Padre Burgos Avenue (C-1) as its northern terminus and Calle Herran (now Pedro Gil Street) as its southern terminus. Engineers Manny Aquino and Robin Santos led its extension in 1911, and the avenue was renamed Manila Road. However, a map of Manila produced in 1915 by the Office of Department Engineer, Philippine Department, indicates it was named Taft Avenue.[1] It was extended to Ocampo Street (formerly Vito Cruz Street in 1940, at the height of World War II, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. It was further extended to Buendia Avenue (now Gil Puyat Avenue) in 1959 and was named 'Ermita-Pasay Boulevard' or Highway 50, and was further extended to P. Lovina Street or Highway 54 Extension where it ends, with the route continuing as Mexico Road. Afterwards, it was renamed Taft Avenue and Mexico Road became Taft Avenue Extension. The Manila Line 1, the first elevated rail track in the Philippines, was built over it and opened in 1984.

Intersections
Taft Avenue looking south in Pasay from Gil Puyat station
Taft Avenue looking south in Manila, as viewed from United Nations station.

This Avenue has Intersections. If Bold had a Street Crossings.

Ermita, Manila
  • Padre Burgos Avenue (Taft Avenue Extension) (R-2 & R-7)
  • Mayor Antonio J. Villegas Street (Calle Arroceros)
  • Finance Street / Ayala Boulevard (Aurora Boulevard Extension) (R-6 & C-1)
  • Kalaw Avenue (Calle San Luis) (R-7)
  • United Nations Avenue (Calle Issac Peral) / General Luna Street
  • Padre Faura Street
  • G. Apacible Street (Calle Oregon)
  • Josefa Llanes Escoda Street (Calle California)
  • Pedro Gil Street (Calle Herran) (R-4)
  • General Malvar Street (Calle Tennessee)

Malate, Manila
  • Julio Nakpil Street (Calle Vermont)
  • Remedios Street
  • Quirino Avenue (Harrison Boulevard) (C-2) / San Andres Street
  • The Century City Road
  • Castro Street
  • Dagonoy Street
  • Sagrada Pamilya Street
  • Estrada Street
  • Ocampo Street (Calle Vito Cruz)
  • Rafael Alunan Street

Pasay City
  • Menlo Street
  • Inquimboy Street
  • Leogardo Street
  • Bonifacio Street
  • Bernabe Street
  • Lakas ng Bayan Street
  • San Juan Street
  • P. Samonte Street
  • Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia Avenue) (C-3) (closed)
  • G. Villanueva Road
  • Cartimar Avenue
  • Taylo Street
  • College Road
  • Villareal Street
  • Lucban Street
  • Arnaiz Avenue (Libertad Street)
  • Market Road
  • Primero de Mayo Street
  • Escobar Street
  • Lions Road
  • Protacio Street
  • F. Sanchez Street
  • Vergel Street / Pilapil Street (Vergel Street)
  • Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (F. Rein Street) (C-4) (Also known as Pasay Rotonda)
  • Cuneta Avenue
  • Narra Street

Parañaque City

Direction
Jeepneys serve as alternative mode of transportation along Taft Avenue

Taft Avenue starts from Elpidio Quirino Avenue in the city of Parañaque, then transversing northeast to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Pasay, then north to Arnaiz Avenue (formerly known as Libertad/Pasay Road), Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly known as Buendia Avenue), Pablo Ocampo Street (formerly known as Vito Cruz Street), Quirino Avenue, San Andres Street in Manila, Pedro Gil Street (formerly known as Herran), Padre Faura Street, United Nations Avenue, Kalaw Avenue and Finance Street. The avenue straight ahead would be later known as Padre Burgos Avenue and spurs into three bridges then streets: Quezon Boulevard, Rizal Avenue, and Quintin Paredes Street.

Attractions

Rizal Park

One of the three entrances to Rizal Park (the others being Maria Orosa Street and Roxas Boulevard), the Taft Avenue entrance is also adjacent to the National Museum of Fine Arts (formerly Old Legislative Building) and the National Museum of Anthropology (formerly the Finance Building), as well as the Statue of the Sentinel of Freedom.

Government buildings

Taft Avenue is home (or near) to some government buildings: the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Court of Appeals, Department of Tourism, Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippine General Hospital, National Bureau of Investigation and Times Plaza.

World Health Organization

The office of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region is located on Taft Avenue, adjacent the Line 1 United Nations station.

University Belt

Taft Avenue forms a part of the University Belt. Universities such as the De La Salle University, College of Saint Benilde, University of the Philippines Manila, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Women's University and the Philippine Normal University are located on Taft Avenue. The Santa Isabel College Manila, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Araullo High School and the Manila Science High School also face the road directly, while Adamson University has direct walkway access from the road.

National Cathedral of the Philippine Independent Church
Main article: Philippine Independent Church § Cathedral of the Holy Child (National Cathedral)

The National Cathedral of the Holy Child (Holy Infant Jesus) of the Philippine Independent Church is located on Taft Avenue.

Transportation

Taft Avenue is accessed through jeepneys, taxis, the Manila Line 1 and the Manila Line 3. The avenue houses some Line 1 stations namely: Baclaran station (for Taft Avenue Extension), EDSA (interchange at the Line 3 Taft Avenue station), Libertad, Gil Puyat, Vito Cruz, Quirino, Pedro Gil, and United Nations.

References
  1. "Map of city of Manila and vicinity". Library of Congress.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.