Quezon Avenue

History

The avenue was developed as part of a road plan to connect the government center of Manila in Rizal Park to the proposed new capital on the Diliman Estate. It was also referred to as Quezon Boulevard Extension, Calle España, and Malawen Boulevard. During World War II, its section in Diliman Estate served as a runway of the Quezon Airfield, along with the Manila Circumferential Road (now EDSA).

The road, much like Commonwealth Avenue, was then named Don Mariano Marcos Avenue to honor Mariano Marcos, the father of President Ferdinand Marcos. The road was renamed Quezon Avenue after former president Manuel Quezon following the 1986 People Power Revolution with the ascension of Corazon Aquino as president. It originally started at EDSA, but the portion between the Elliptical Road and EDSA, which used to be named Commonwealth Avenue extension, became a part of the road. With the passing of the 1987 Constitution, Quezon City had four legislative districts until two new districts were added in 2013. The west of Quezon Avenue constitutes the first district, while the east constitutes the fourth district.

U-turn slots

In 2003, after the perceived effectiveness of EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue and Marcos Highway, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implemented the "clearway scheme"; this prohibited crossings and left turns on the avenue. In place of left turns, the MMDA has constructed U-turn slots 100 to away from the intersections to allow vehicles to reach their destination.

The MMDA would later backpedal on the scheme in 2014 by reverting some intersections along Quezon Avenue to traffic light-signalized ones.

Quezon Avenue–Araneta Avenue underpass

In June 2011, a 440 m four-lane underpass was started along the Gregorio Araneta Avenue Intersection. The construction was slated to take up to 15 months. In September 2012, President Benigno Aquino III opened the underpass to the public. The project cost or below the budget allocated.

Motorcycle lanes

In 2012, the MMDA instituted motorcycle lanes on the avenue. The lanes are painted blue and are meant exclusively for motorcycle riders. This comes after the effectiveness of the "blue lanes" on EDSA, Commonwealth Avenue, and Macapagal Boulevard, although the blue lane on EDSA is not exclusive to motorcycles.

Elevated expressway

Initially suggested in 1993 as part of a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the intended elevated R-7 Expressway will traverse above the existing roads, linking the Metro Manila Skyway to Commonwealth Avenue.

Planned busway system (Bus Rapid Transit)

In 2017, the World Bank granted a loan for building a bus rapid transit line along Quezon Avenue, but this project was put on hold in 2022. In 2025, Secretary of Transportation Vince Dizon announced that Quezon Avenue and España Boulevard will be equipped with their own busway system.

Intersections

Landmarks

Starting from its western terminus:

• Mabuhay Rotonda
• Ma Mon Luk's restaurant
• Santo Domingo Church
• Quezon Avenue Bridge (San Juan River)
• Fisher Mall
• Delta Theatre (Dela Merced Building, soon-to-be-converted by DMCI into a mixed-use residential project)
• Crossings Department Store and Supermarket
• Capitol Medical Center
• The Skysuites Tower
• DILG-NAPOLCOM Center
• Eton Centris
• Bantayog ng mga Bayani Center
• Quezon Avenue Station construction, Metro Manila Subway
• Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Depot
• National Power Corporation
• National Transmission Corporation
• National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
• Philippine Children's Medical Center
• Lung Center of the Philippines
• Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center
• Quezon Memorial Circle

References

References

1. "Road and Bridge Inventory".
2. Bueza, Michael. (October 12, 2014). "What Quezon City could have looked like". Rappler.
3. (March 7, 1984). "An Act Renaming Timog Avenue and East Avenue as Carlos P. Garcia Avenue". The Corpus Juris.
4. (August 1945). "Manila, Philippines map". American Red Cross Service Bureau.
5. "Map of North Avenue Airfield (Quezon Airfield) in Quezon north of Manila".
6. (July 25, 1944). "Manila and Suburbs, (Japanese Airfields) Philippines".
7. (August 14, 2003). "All set for Quezon Avenue clearway". [[Philippine Star]].
8. Brizuela, Maricar. (August 11, 2014). "MMDA reactivates traffic signals along Quezon Ave. to replace U-turn slots". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
9. Kwok, Abigail. (June 20, 2011). "Underpass construction on Quezon, Araneta Avenues start". Interaksyon.com.
10. (September 28, 2012). "P452-M Quezon-Araneta underpass opens today". ABS-CBNnews.com.
11. Melican, Nathaniel. (February 14, 2012). "MMDA sees safer EDSA with motorcycle lanes". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
12. Katahira & Engineers International. (October 29, 1993). "Metro Manila Urban Expressway System Study".
13. (March 16, 2017). "Philippines: First Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit Line to Benefit Thousands of Commuters Daily".
14. CEDTyClea. (2025-06-17). "España-Quezon Ave. busway under study".
15. CORDERO, TED. (2025-06-17). "DOTr eyes España-Quezon Avenue busway system".
16. "DMCI Homes buys Delta building in QC". The Standard.
17. (September 30, 2024). "Metro Manila Subway: When Right of Way Gets in the Way". [[GMA Network]].