Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue

Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue
Iloilo Diversion Road
Iloilo Diversion Bridge Mandurriao top view (Iloilo City; 04-03-2024).jpg
Southern terminus of Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, looking north in Mandurriao
Route information
Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways
Length16.62 km[1] (10.33 mi)
Component
highways
  • N513 from Airport Access Road to Iloilo–Capiz Road
  • N512 from Iloilo–Capiz Road to Lopez Jaena Street
  • N515 from Lopez Jaena Street to Mandurriao–Jaro Road
  • N5 from Mandurriao–Jaro Road to Iloilo–Antique Road
RestrictionsNo tricycles, pedicabs
Major junctions
North endAirport Access Road in Cabatuan
Major intersections
South end N501 (Iloilo–Antique Road) in Iloilo City
Location
CountryPhilippines
Major citiesIloilo City
TownsCabatuan, Santa Barbara, Pavia
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines

Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, formerly known as Jaro West Diversion Road and still colloquially referred to as Diversion Road,[2] is a major bypass highway in the Iloilo metropolitan area on the island of Panay in the Philippines. It constitutes the southern section of National Route 5, which connects the province of Iloilo to the province of Capiz.[3] The avenue serves as the primary thoroughfare from Iloilo City to Iloilo International Airport and passes through the municipalities of Pavia, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan. It was named after Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr.,[4] a former senator who played a significant role in opposing the regime of then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

Route description

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Northbound approach to the Ungka Flyover along a section of Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue in Pavia

Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue begins at the junction of General Luna Street, Infante Avenue, and Marcelo H. del Pilar Street, located at the boundary of Iloilo City Proper and Molo.[5] The avenue traverses the Iloilo City districts of Mandurriao and Jaro, as well as the municipalities of Pavia, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan.[6] It is a 16.62-kilometre (10.33 mi) highway featuring six to eight lanes, complemented by a two-lane service road and a protected bike lane.[7][8] It includes two four-lane flyovers that cross over President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue and Felix Gorriceta Jr. Avenue in Pavia.

History

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Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue was constructed in 1975 and originally known as Jaro West Diversion Road. It was built as an alternative route to downtown Iloilo City, as Lopez Jaena and E. Lopez Streets in the Jaro and La Paz districts were experiencing heavy traffic due to the presence of numerous institutions in the area. The initial stretch of Jaro West Diversion Road was a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) route that began in Barangay Sambag in Jaro and ended in the then-swampy barangays of Bakhaw, Bolilao, and San Rafael in Mandurriao.[9]

With the construction of the new Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, the road was extended and has since become the main thoroughfare from Iloilo City to the new airport. It has been widened to accommodate six to eight lanes, featuring two-lane service road in its section within Iloilo City, along with a protected, tree-lined elevated bike lane. The section in Mandurriao has evolved into a major business district in Iloilo City.[10]

Intersections

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Intersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Arroyo Fountain in Iloilo City designated as kilometer 0. 

ProvinceCity/MunicipalitykmmiDestinationsNotes
Iloilo City N501 (Iloilo–Antique Road)Southern terminus
Donato Pison Avenue
Jalandoni Street
N5 (Mandurriao–Jaro Road)
Airport Spur Road
N512 (Lopez Jaena Street)
IloiloPavia N516 (President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue)
Felix Gorriceta Jr. Avenue / Gonzaga Street
Evangelista Street
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Bypass Road (Iloilo Circumferential Road 2)
N512 (Roosevelt Street) / San Miguel–Santa Barbara Road
Santa Barbara Bypass Road (Iloilo Circumferential Road 3)
CabatuanAirport Access RoadNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ Manila Bulletin (2015-07-08). "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10662, July 03, 2015". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  2. ^ Lena, Perla (2019-12-03). "14-km traffic discipline zone up in Iloilo City". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  3. ^ "Iloilo 4th". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  4. ^ "SENATOR BENIGNO S. AQUINO JR. AVENUE". Legislative Digital Resources. 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  5. ^ "Iloilo City". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  6. ^ "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  7. ^ Manila Bulletin (2015-07-08). "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10662, July 03, 2015". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  8. ^ Punzalan, Justine (2020-06-16). "Iloilo already has its own protected bike lane years before COVID-19". PEP.ph. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  9. ^ Vicilongo. "Iloilo History Part 16". Research Center for Iloilo. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  10. ^ "Updates: Diversion Road, Plazuela de Iloilo & SM City Iloilo Expansion". Explore Iloilo. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
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