Aurora Boulevard

Route description

Aurora Boulevard is divided into two routes: the segment from G. Araneta Avenue to EDSA and EDSA to Katipunan Avenue (C-5). Most of the road is a 4-lane dual carriageway, with LRT Line 2 having five stations above ground and one (Katipunan station) located underground.

Aurora Boulevard starts as a physical extension of Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard past the intersection with Araneta Avenue near the Manila–Quezon City boundary. It then enters San Juan before crossing Ermitaño Creek near Broadway Centrum to return to Quezon City, this time at the New Manila district. It then intersects Gilmore Avenue, Balete Drive, and E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue before it meets EDSA.

Past EDSA, it passes near the Araneta City Complex in Cubao. The road continues eastward through the barangays of Silangan, Quirino 3-A, and Duyan-Duyan until it ends at Katipunan Avenue (C-5) near the Quezon City–Marikina boundary. It continues eastward to Rizal province as Marikina-Infanta Highway (commonly known as Marcos Highway).

The entire road and its continuations have Class II paint-separated one-way bike lanes as part of the national government's Metropolitan Bike Lane Network. The segments within Quezon City are integrated with the city's bike lane network, with the segment from EDSA to Katipunan Avenue having 0.6 m painted buffer zones on both sides of the bicycle lanes.

History

The boulevard's origins can be traced back to the Camino de Mariquina (Marikina Road, also called San Juan-Marikina Road), a small road built in 1900 to link Manila to the western Manila province (later annexed to Rizal in 1901) municipalities of San Juan del Monte (San Juan) and Mariquina (Marikina). The road was named Calle N. Domingo (now N. Domingo Street) after Nicolas Domingo, a relator (court reporter) of the Real Audiencia of Manila in 1898.

Before 1945, Calle Santa Mesa (Santa Mesa Boulevard, now Magsaysay Boulevard) was extended eastwards from its intersection with Santol Street, crossing the San Juan River and absorbing majority of Calle Morales in San Juan and 2nd Street in New Manila Subdivision, Quezon City. The extension was classified as part of Highway 53 and was named the Santa Mesa Boulevard Extension. It was named Calle Morales after the old street in San Juan that it absorbed. Eventually, the Santa Mesa Boulevard Extension intersects with N. Domingo Street, whose remaining sections from present-day EDSA to present-day Katipunan Avenue were absorbed by the extension.

By 1955, the Santa Mesa Boulevard Extension was known as Marikina-Ermita Avenue (or the Manila Provincial Road). In 1963, the road was renamed Aurora Boulevard (as it is known today) to honor the former First Lady Aurora Quezon, the assassinated wife of former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon. The Magnolia Ice Cream House ice cream parlor and factory once stood at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Doña Hemady Street. It is now occupied by Robinsons Magnolia, which got its name from the former ice cream parlor and factory.

Intersections

Landmarks

This is from west to east:

Quezon City

• Central Colleges of the Philippines
• Immaculate Heart of Mary College
• UERMMMC College of Medicine

San Juan

• J. Ruiz station

Quezon City

• Gilmore station
• St. Paul University Quezon City
• Robinsons Magnolia
• Betty Go-Belmonte station
• ACT Theater
• Cubao Elementary School
• Araneta City
  • Gateway Mall
• Araneta Center–Cubao LRT station
• World Citi Colleges
• Diocesan Shrine of St. Joseph
• Anonas station
• Anonas City LRT center
• National College of Business and Arts
• Katipunan station

References

References

1. (August 25, 2022). "List of all bike lanes based on DPWH classifications".
2. Luna, Franco. (April 7, 2022). "The Road Ahead: For Quezon City, more cyclists will mean more bike lanes". [[The Philippine Star]].
3. Artiaga, Santiago. (1951). "Brief History of San Juan del Monte, Rizal". [[National Library of the Philippines]].
4. (1943). "US Army map of Manila and Suburbs (1943)".
5. (December 17, 1940). "Establishing the Classification of Roads".
6. (October 2, 1948). "Establishing the Classification of Roads".
7. (August 1945). "Manila, Philippines map". American Red Cross Service Bureau.
8. United States. Army Map Service. (1945). "Manila North, Philippine Islands, Manila City, Luzon". United States. United States. Army Map Service.
9. (August 1, 2021). "1956: The UE College of Medicine Opens".
10. Farolan, Ramon. (April 28, 2013). "Quezon and Guingona". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
11. [http://www.magnoliaicecream.com.ph/ourCompany.php The Magnolia Heritage, ''Official website, Magnolia Ice Cream''] {{webarchive. link. (2012-06-10)
12. ''[http://www.robinsonsmalls.com/malls_magnolia.php Official website - Robinsons Magnolia] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-09-16 '')
13. "North Manila". [[Department of Public Works and Highways]].