Osmeña Boulevard

Osmeña Boulevard is a major arterial thoroughfare in Cebu City, Philippines. It is the city's "main street" which travels in a generally northwest-southeast orientation linking the old downtown district of San Roque near the harbor with the modern uptown Capitol Site district. Beginning at Mariano Jesus Cuenco Avenue in the east, the boulevard heads northwest towards Fuente Osmeña circle and ends at Nicolas Escario Street. At its north end, the Cebu Provincial Capitol serves as a prominent terminating vista. It is the location of many of Cebu's notable institutions such as the Cebu Normal University, Abellana National School and Cebu Doctors' University Hospital; the Basilica of Santo Niño; the city's tallest building, Crown Regency Hotel; and shopping centers Robinsons Place Cebu and Gaisano Colon.

History

Osmeña Boulevard was developed during the American period to connect the old Spanish colonial town of Cebu to outlying areas being opened up by the American government as its new city.^[1] It was formerly named Jones Avenue, after U.S. Congressman William Atkinson Jones who sponsored the bill known as Jones Law or Philippine Autonomy Law of 1916. It was renamed in honor of Sergio Osmeña, the third Philippine president and his wife Estefania Veloso Osmeña who owned a mansion and estate along the boulevard on March 29, 1960 by virtue of City Ordinance No. 284.^[2]

Route description

Cebu Provincial Capitol located at the northern end of Osmeña Boulevard

Fuente Osmeña park and roundabout where Osmeña Boulevard meets General Maxilom Avenue

Osmeña Boulevard begins as a four-lane undivided road at the intersection with M.J. Cuenco Avenue near Fort San Pedro in Plaza Independencia, San Roque area. The road goes for 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) west through Pari-an and Kalubihan passing narrow streets and the Basilica of Santo Niño until it turns north at Colon Street, the city's old shopping district. At Sanciangko Street just past the University of Cebu main campus, the boulevard divides slightly and becomes three lanes each way. It intersects with Bacalso Avenue and traverses Santa Cruz and Sambag passing Cebu Normal University and Abellana National School. Also in the vicinity of Bacalso and Pantaleom del Rosario Street are the University of San Carlos and Cebu City Sports Complex. Osmeña continues north towards Fuente Osmeña circle, a large roundabout with a park and fountain in the middle, where many hotels are located such as Crown Regency, Cebu Midtown Hotel and Rajah Park Hotel. Fuente Osmeña is also the location of Robinsons Place Cebu and Robinsons Cybergate shopping malls. The road ends at Escario Street right in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol which creates a terminating vista for those looking north along the boulevard. Escario Street leads east towards Camputhaw and the Cebu Business Park. A small road at the back of the Capitol building leads west towards Guadalupe.

References