España Boulevard

---

title: "España Boulevard" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["university-of-santo-tomas", "streets-in-manila", "boulevards", "sampaloc,-manila"] description: "Major boulevard in Manila, Philippines" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/España_Boulevard" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Major boulevard in Manila, Philippines ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox street"]

Field	Value
country	PHL
marker_image	[[File:N170 (Philippines).svg

[[File:España Boulevard sign.svg|200px|Street sign for España Boulevard used in Manila]] | | name | España Boulevard | | former_names | Quezon Boulevard | | image | España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila, 2024.jpg | | image_alt | View of the España Boulevard in Manila, looking towards northeast. The boulevard has 8 lanes and also has anti-jaywalking barriers along its entire length (except for at-grade pedestrian crossings and some intersections) | | caption | España Boulevard view north from the Morayta footbridge | | length_km | 2.048 | | namesake | España (Spain in Spanish) | | allocation | {{plainlist| | | * {{jct|country | PHL|N|170}} | | direction_b | Southwest | | direction_a | Northeast | | terminus_b | in Sampaloc, Manila | | terminus_a | Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City | | junction | {{plainlist| | | * {{jct|country | PHL|N|161|name1=Blumentritt Road}} | | * {{jct|country | PHL|E|2|name1=NLEX Connector}} | | * {{jct|country | PHL|N|140|name1=Lacson Avenue}} | | construction_start_date | 1913 | | mapframe | yes | ::

| country = PHL | marker_image = [[File:N170 (Philippines).svg|75px]]

[[File:España Boulevard sign.svg|200px|Street sign for España Boulevard used in Manila]] | name = España Boulevard | former_names = Quezon Boulevard | image = España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila, 2024.jpg | image_alt = View of the España Boulevard in Manila, looking towards northeast. The boulevard has 8 lanes and also has anti-jaywalking barriers along its entire length (except for at-grade pedestrian crossings and some intersections) | caption = España Boulevard view north from the Morayta footbridge | length_km = 2.048 | namesake = España (Spain in Spanish) | allocation = {{plainlist|

• R-7

| direction_b = Southwest | direction_a = Northeast | terminus_b = in Sampaloc, Manila | terminus_a = Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City | junction = {{plainlist|

| construction_start_date = 1913 | mapframe = yes

España Boulevard (Spanish: Avenida España) is an eight–lane major thoroughfare in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is named after Spain, the country that formerly held the Philippines as a colony for 333 years (1565 until 1898). True to its name, several Spanish names abound on the street. It starts in the east at the Welcome Rotonda near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila and ends in the west with a Y-intersection with Lerma and Nicanor Reyes Streets in Manila.

History

Before becoming what it is today, the boulevard was a part of the Hacienda de Sulucan, one of the ten barrios which formed Sampaloc. In 1694, the hacienda was donated to the sisters of the Monasterio de Santa Clara. In 1905, it was turned over to the Sulucan Development Corporation. The road was constructed in 1913 as an access road to Sulucan, under the condition of being named "España".

The boulevard was once part of Quezon Boulevard, and it is part of the national road plan to connect the government center of Manila in Rizal Park to the proposed new capital on the Diliman estate.

España Boulevard is infamous for its floods during the rainy season. This is because it serves as a catch basin for runoff water from higher-elevated Quezon City, as Sampaloc was a swamp marsh area. It is common to find people wading in waist-deep floods, especially when a typhoon passes through Manila, causing class suspensions.

Proposed renaming

On June 30, 2004, Senator Serge Osmeña filed Senate Bill No. 496, which sought to rename España Boulevard into Lorenzo M. Tañada Avenue, in honor of the former senator. However, the bill remained pending up to the end of the 13th Congress of the Philippines.

Proposed rail and bus transit

A new mass-transit line has been planned several times to cross España Boulevard, the first one being called LRT Line 4 (the original plan of the current proposal in the 2020s), proposed in 1995 by the French consortium. The said line would traverse the boulevard until it reaches Batasan, then to Novaliches in Quezon City, which has been shelved in favor of the MRT Line 7 line that diverted and cut short the terminus at North Avenue. After the MRT-7 proposal was awarded, the plans were revived to create a separate line for the remainder of the alignment from the original LRT-4 proposal that the MRT-7 left out, which was named MRT-9 that was envisioned to traverse from Lerma to North Avenue. Subsequently, this was again shelved in favor of a bus rapid transit line that traverses from Lerma to UP Diliman, but was again shelved. In 2017, an unsolicited proposal put up by the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and Alloy MTD using the same remaining LRT-4 and bus rapid transit (BRT) alignment with the working project name "PNR East-West Rail" and is believed to be officially numbered Line 8, should the proposal push through. Currently, there are no plans for the elevated railway system.

In 2025, under Bongbong Marcos' leadership, the Secretary of Transportation Vince Dizon announced that España would feature its own busway system, marking the revival of a plan for the BRT route.

Notable landmarks

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/España_Boulevard-Lerma_(Sampaloc,_Manila;_02-01-2025).jpg" caption="Southern end of the boulevard, showing Nicanor Reyes Street (left) and Lerma Avenue (right)"] ::

España Boulevard is an east–west artery in Manila. It connects Lerma and Nicanor Reyes (formerly Morayta) streets of Sampaloc district at the west end to the Mabuhay (or Welcome) Rotonda, Quezon City at the east end. The entire street is straddled by a center island, only broken at major intersections and the railroad crossing. Vehicles can make a left-turn only on two intersections: southward to Lacson Avenue and at the western terminus to Nicanor Reyes Street. España Boulevard is 2 km long.

España Boulevard's north side is westbound (Manila-bound), while the south side is eastbound (Quezon City-bound). Buses, taxis, jeepneys, cabriolets, and UV Express vehicles serve commuters.

Quezon City

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Pic_geo_photos_-ph=mm=manila=sampaloc=españa_blvd.=qelcome_rotonda-philippines--2015-0624--ls-.JPG" caption="The [[Welcome Rotonda]], also called the Mabuhay Rotonda" alt="A marble monument, monolithic in structure, situated on a traffic island painted red and yellow. The monument has text near its top which says: "WELCOME QUEZON CITY""] ::

At the eastern terminus is the Welcome Rotonda, also called the Mabuhay Rotonda, which connects España Boulevard with Quezon Avenue, Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue, and Mayon. Quezon Avenue leads to EDSA and ultimately to the Quezon Memorial Circle. E. Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue leads to the Cubao district of Quezon City, a popular shopping place. Mayon leads to A. Bonifacio Avenue and ultimately to the North Luzon Expressway.[[File:España Boulevard2.jpg|thumb|España Boulevard during its usual afternoon rush hour traffic|alt=The boulevard with heavy afternoon rush hour traffic]]

Manila

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/España_Boulevard,PNR_rail_crossing(Sampaloc,_Manila;_03-27-2024).jpg" caption="Railroad crossing at España Boulevard, beneath [[NLEX Connector]]" alt="Refer to caption"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/España_Boulevard_1.jpg" caption="España Boulevard near [[University of Santo Tomas]]" alt="The boulevard at night looking towards northeast"] ::

The first major intersection is Blumentritt Road. The Philippine National Railways tracks cross the boulevard between Antipolo and Algeciras streets. The España railway station is also located here. Between Lacson Avenue and Padre Noval Street is the main campus of the University of Santo Tomas.

The house of the longest-serving Mayor of Manila, Ramon Bagatsing, is on Kundiman Street, on the boulevard's north side. Many people used to flock to his residence as it was open to all his constituents, becoming the de facto public service assistance center for Manila's poor and underprivileged. Today, the Bagatsing compound extends to the parallel Craig Street.

The boulevard also provides access to NLEX Connector (formerly NLEX–SLEX Connector Road) via Antipolo Street onto España Exit.

España Boulevard ends at the junction of Nicanor Reyes (formerly called Morayta) and Lerma Streets. Nicanor Reyes Street leads to Claro M. Recto Avenue, while Lerma Street, on the other hand, leads to Quezon Boulevard.

Notable events

On August 31, 1983, Marcos opposition figure and former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.'s funeral procession passed through España on its way to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque from Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City. It was joined by millions of Filipinos.{{cite news |url = https://www.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/08/24/14/ninoy%25E2%2580%2599s-funeral-was-day-filipinos-stopped-being-afraid-dictators |title = Ninoy's funeral was the day Filipinos stopped being afraid of dictators |first = Raissa |last = Robles |publisher = ABS-CBN News |date = August 25, 2014 |url = http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl101500.htm |title = MASSIVE SECURITY FOR FPJ BURIAL |publisher = Philippine Headline News Online |date = December 22, 2004 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050118223645/http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/hl/hl101500.htm |archive-date = January 18, 2005

España is also frequently used by anti-government protesters as a gathering area due to its proximity to Mendiola, which ends at Malacañang Palace, the presidential residence.{{cite news |url = http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2006/06/10/activists.cops.clash.near.malaca.ang.scores.hurt.html |title = Activists, cops clash near Malacañang; scores hurt |publisher = Sun Star Network Online |date = June 10, 2006 |access-date = July 26, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060622112901/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2006/06/10/activists.cops.clash.near.malaca.ang.scores.hurt.html |archive-date = June 22, 2006 |url-status = dead

Intersections

References

References

1. (1960). "Table and Pocket Map Guide City of Manila". J.M. Azucena Publishing.
2. "Kung bakit España ang tawag sa España Boulevard | the Varsitarian".
3. (1960). "Table and Pocket Map Guide City of Manila". J.M. Azucena Publishing.
4. (August 26, 2004). "8 dead as floods hit Luzon". [[Manila Bulletin]].
5. (June 30, 2004). "Renaming Espana Boulevard to Lorenzo Tanada Avenue, Manila".
6. C. Samonte, Severino. (March 23, 2023). "MRT Line-7 was planned as LRT Line 4 during FVR's time in 1995".
7. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223137/http://www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?i=10961 DOTC to review MRT 4], Gov.ph. Accessed July 25, 2006.
8. Inquirer, Philippine Daily. (2022-04-18). "WB flags Metro Manila BRT project implementation as ‘unsatisfactory’".
9. CEDTyClea. (2025-06-17). "España-Quezon Ave. busway under study".
10. pamela. (2017-07-14). "Philippines: Megawide to take part in East-West Railway Project".
11. CORDERO, TED. (2025-06-17). "DOTr eyes España-Quezon Avenue busway system".
12. Lopez, Melissa Luz. (November 5, 2019). "Work begins for NLEX-SLEX Connector road".
13. "Road and Bridge Inventory".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::