Bonifacio_Drive

Bonifacio Drive

Bonifacio Drive

Major road in Manila, Philippines

Not to be confused with Bonifacio Avenue.

Bonifacio Drive is a road running for approximately 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) in a north-south direction between Intramuros and Port Area in Manila, Philippines. The boulevard is also designated as Radial Road 1 (R-1) of Manila's arterial road network, National Route 120 (N120) of the Philippine highway network and an auxiliary route of Asian Highway 26 (AH26).

Quick Facts R-1, Former name(s) ...

The boulevard is named for national hero Andrés Bonifacio, the Supremo of the Katipunan and thus the father of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire.

Another street in Manila is also named Bonifacio Drive. It is located at the Tutuban Center shopping complex in Tondo.

History

Aerial view of Intramuros (left) with Calle Bonifacio (right), 1933

The road was previously called Malecon Drive during the American period.[1] During Spanish rule, it was known simply as Malecón (Spanish for waterfront esplanade) which the road was prior to the reclamation of South Harbor (Port Area) during the late 19th century. It was also known alternatively as Paseo de María Cristina, after the then Queen of Spain Maria Cristina, or Paseo de Santa Lucia.[2] It was later renamed to Calle A. Bonifacio or Calle Bonifacio.[3][4] It used to connect Luneta Park to the southern bank of Pasig River, where the Anda Monument was previously located. After World War II, the monument was transferred to its present site at the road's intersection with Calle Aduana, which was converted into a present-day roundabout called Anda Circle.[5] In 1975, Roxas Bridge (also known as Del Pan Bridge and in the present-day as Mel Lopez Bridge) was built to connect Bonifacio Drive to the northern parts of Manila across Pasig River.[6]

In 2019, Bonifacio Drive's section from Anda Circle to Roxas Bridge became part of the newly-renamed Mel Lopez Boulevard by virtue of Republic Act No. 11280.[7][8]

Route description

Bonifacio Drive is the northern extension of Roxas Boulevard from Padre Burgos Avenue and Katigbak Parkway in Rizal Park to Anda Circle. At the traffic circle, it intersects Andrés Soriano Avenue (formerly Calle Aduana), the main road to Intramuros, and Roberto Oca Street, a road to Port Area. North of the traffic circle, Bonifacio Drive continues as Mel Lopez Boulevard heading into North Harbor and the districts of San Nicolas and Tondo via Roxas Bridge (also known as Del Pan Bridge and Mel Lopez Bridge) over the Pasig River.

Landmarks

The Department of Public Works and Highways head office along Bonifacio Drive

Establishments along Bonifacio Drive include the Manila Hotel, the Department of Public Works and Highways headquarters, Philippine Ports Authority headquarters, the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, the Port Area office of National Power Corporation (which once housed the MMDA Workers' Inn), and the Santa Lucia Gate. Located on the east of the entire stretch of the road is the Club Intramuros Golf Course.

References

  1. [1]
    A directory of charitable and social service organizations in the city of Manila. Archive.org. Retrieved December 6, 2013
  2. [2]
    de Gamoneda, Francisco J. (1898). Plano de Manila y sus Arrables [Map of Manila and its suburbs] (Map). 1:10,000 (in Spanish). Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  3. [3]
    Map of city of Manila and vicinity (Map). 1:10560. Manila?: Office of Dept. Engineer, Phil. Dept. 1919. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  4. [4]
    Complete YMCA 1934 Manila map (Map). 1934. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  5. [5]
    Alcazaren, Paulo (July 14, 2001). "Rotundas: Circles of Urban Life". Philstar. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  6. [6]
    "Detailed Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  7. [7]
    Balinbin, Arjay (May 20, 2019). "Road in Manila renamed to honor late sportsman and politician Mel Lopez". BusinessWorld. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  8. [8]
    Republic Act No. 11280 (April 12, 2019), An Act Renaming the Portion of Radial Road 10 Traversing Bonifacio Drive at Anda Circle in Station Kilometer (STA KM) 1+100, up to Marala Bridge at the foot of Estero De Marala STA KM 6+445, All in the City of Manila as Mel Lopez Boulevard (PDF), retrieved January 27, 2021

14°35′22″N 120°58′18″E
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