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.
    | |
|---|---|
| Iloilo Diversion Road | |
 Southern terminus of Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, looking north in Mandurriao | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways | |
| Length | 16.62 km[1] (10.33 mi) |
| Component highways | |
| Restrictions | No tricycles, pedicabs |
| Major junctions | |
| North end | Airport Access Road in Cabatuan |
| |
| South end |  N501 (Iloilo–Antique Road) in Iloilo City |
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Major cities | Iloilo City |
| Towns | Cabatuan, Santa Barbara, Pavia |
| Highway system | |
| |
Route description
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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
editBenigno 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
editIntersections are numbered by kilometer post, with Arroyo Fountain in Iloilo City designated as kilometer 0.
| Province | City/Municipality | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iloilo City | N501 (Iloilo–Antique Road) | Southern terminus | |||
| Donato Pison Avenue | |||||
| Jalandoni Street | |||||
 N5 (Mandurriao–Jaro Road) | |||||
| Airport Spur Road | |||||
 N512 (Lopez Jaena Street) | |||||
| Iloilo | Pavia |  N516 (President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue) | |||
| Felix Gorriceta Jr. Avenue / Gonzaga Street | |||||
| Evangelista Street | |||||
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara Bypass Road (Iloilo Circumferential Road 2) | ||||
| N512 (Roosevelt Street) / San Miguel–Santa Barbara Road | |||||
| Santa Barbara Bypass Road (Iloilo Circumferential Road 3) | |||||
| Cabatuan | Airport Access Road | Northern terminus | |||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
edit- ^ Manila Bulletin (2015-07-08). "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10662, July 03, 2015". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Lena, Perla (2019-12-03). "14-km traffic discipline zone up in Iloilo City". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Iloilo 4th". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "SENATOR BENIGNO S. AQUINO JR. AVENUE". Legislative Digital Resources. 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Iloilo City". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Manila Bulletin (2015-07-08). "REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10662, July 03, 2015". Supreme Court E-Library. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Punzalan, Justine (2020-06-16). "Iloilo already has its own protected bike lane years before COVID-19". PEP.ph. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ Vicilongo. "Iloilo History Part 16". Research Center for Iloilo. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Updates: Diversion Road, Plazuela de Iloilo & SM City Iloilo Expansion". Explore Iloilo. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
External links
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Media related to Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Iloilo City) at Wikimedia Commons
