Osmeña Highway

R-3 Osmeña Highway
South Superhighway President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway
Osmeña Highway southbound beneath Skyway Stage 3 in Makati
Route information
Maintained by Department of Public Works and Highways and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Length	4.595 km (2.855 mi)
Existed	1960s–present
Component highways	N145 R-3 R-3
Major junctions
North end	N140 (Quirino Avenue) in Paco, Manila
Major intersections	N190 (Gil Puyat Avenue) in Makati
South end	AH 26 (N1) / N145 (EDSA) / AH 26 (E2) (South Luzon Expressway) in Makati
Location
Major cities	Manila and Makati
Highway system
Roads in the Philippines Highways Expressways List

The President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway^[1] (often shortened as Osmeña Highway), also known as the South Superhighway, is a 4.595-kilometer (2.855 mi) major highway that links Quirino Avenue in Paco, Manila to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at the Magallanes Interchange in Makati.

The highway is designated as a component of National Route 145 (N145) of the Philippine highway network and of Radial Road 3 (R-3) of Metro Manila's arterial road network.

The highway is named after Sergio Osmeña, the 4th President of the Philippines. In addition, its name is also alternatively applied on South Luzon Expressway's section from Magallanes Interchange to kilometer 28.387 in San Pedro, Laguna.^[2]

Route description[]

Osmeña Highway (pictured in 2013) facing towards Manila, with the Buendia Flyover in the foreground, taken prior to the construction of Skyway Stage 3.

The Highway starts at a traffic light intersection with Quirino Avenue in Paco, Manila.^[3] It traverses the districts of Malate and San Andres Bukid and crosses San Andres Street, Ocampo (Vito Cruz) Street, and Zobel Roxas Street. It then enters the city of Makati and climbs over to pass above Gil Puyat Avenue through the Buendia Flyover, with service roads to serve that avenue and several side streets.^[4] The first stage of the elevated Skyway starts on the ramps past the flyover.^[5][6] Osmeña Highway crosses Arnaiz Avenue and soon crosses over EDSA at the Magallanes Interchange, where the highway continues south as the South Luzon Expressway. Most of the highway parallels the PNR Metro South Commuter Line and runs under Skyway.^[7][8][9]

The Paco–Muntinlupa segment of the Sucat–Paco–Araneta–Balintawak transmission line of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) uses the highway right of way from Quirino Avenue to Magallanes Interchange.

Road maintenance[]

Osmeña Highway's intersection with Arnaiz Avenue in Makati, underneath Skyway and its Amorsolo Exit

The entire highway is classified as a national secondary road and is maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the South Manila District Engineering Office and Metro Manila 2nd District Engineering Office in Manila and Makati, respectively.^[7][8] The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has jurisdiction also of both the tolled and non-tolled segments, and maintains motorcycle lanes up to Sales Interchange (Nichols).^[10][11] It also handles the traffic management, alongside the local governments of Manila and Makati.^[12]

Apparently, Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (SOMCO), the operator of Skyway and a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation, wanted Osmeña Highway to be under its control as the highway's section from Buendia northwards runs below Skyway Stage 3. SOMCO and SMC Tollways consider the highway's section from Buendia to Magallanes as part of Skyway At-Grade as it runs beneath Skyway Stage 1.^[13][14] However, it was stated that SOMCO and Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corporation (now SMC Skyway Corporation), the concession holder of Skyway Stage 1, do not have jurisdiction over toll-free roads, including Osmeña Highway.^[12]

Name[]

A street sign of Osmeña Highway in Manila

South Superhighway is the older name of the highway and is more widely used alternatively up to date. It is also the former and alternative name of the tolled South Luzon Expressway.

The highway was renamed to President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway (often shortened as Osmeña Highway), after the Commonwealth President Sergio Osmeña, by virtue of Republic Act No. 6760 in 1989.^[1] The name also refers alternatively to the segment of the tolled South Luzon Expressway from Magallanes Interchange to Kilometer 28.387 in San Pedro, Laguna. It was also applied further south to Calamba, Laguna until 1992, when this segment was renamed after Dr. José Rizal by virtue of Republic Act No. 7625.^[2]

History[]

The arch near the Makati–Manila boundary in 2014, prior to the construction of Skyway Stage 3

The highway was originally built apparently in the 1960s as part of the newer road connecting Manila and Southern Luzon.^[15][16][17] It was built in parallel to the Philippine National Railway's Batangas extension line and over the old Hernandez Street in San Andres, Manila.^[18] It was renamed in 1989 to President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway by virtue of Republic Act No. 6760.^[1]

Transportation[]

Osmeña Highway is accessed through jeepneys, taxis, and buses. Running parallel to the PNR Metro South Commuter Line, the highway is served by Philippine National Railway (PNR) stations namely: San Andres, Vito Cruz, Dela Rosa (replacing Buendia), Pasay Road, and EDSA (interchange to MRT Line 3 at Magallanes station).

Intersections[]

Osmeña Highway's intersection with Gil Puyat Avenue beneath Buendia Flyover and Skyway

The southern end of Osmeña Highway at Magallanes Interchange

Intersections are numbered by kilometer posts, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero. 

Province	City/Municipality	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Manila		4.090	2.541	N140 (Quirino Avenue)	Traffic light intersection
				Skyway	Quirino Exit of Skyway; northbound entrance and pending future southbound exit
		4.150	2.579	South Superhighway Bridge #1 over Estero de Paco[19]
				South Superhighway Bridge #2 over Estero de Tripa de Gallina[19]
		4.650	2.889	San Andres Street	Traffic light intersection; no left turn allowed from either direction
				Arellano Street	Southbound access only
				Estrada Street	Southbound access only
		5.430	3.374	Ocampo Street	Traffic light intersection; one-way street
Manila – Makati boundary		5.490	3.411	Zobel Roxas Street	Traffic light intersection; one-way street
Makati				Skyway	Buendia (Zobel) Exit of Skyway; southbound entrance
				Arellano Street	Southbound access only
				Skyway	Buendia (Zobel) Exit of Skyway; northbound exit
		7.552	4.693	Calatagan Bridge over Calatagan Creek
				North end of Buendia Flyover
				Emilia Street, Malugay Street	Traffic light intersection; no entry to Osmeña Highway from Emilia Street
				N190 (Buendia Avenue)	Traffic light intersection
				Finlandia Street, Dela Rosa Street	Traffic light intersection; no left turn allowed from northbound and no right turn allowed from southbound
				South end of Buendia Flyover
		6.750	4.194	AH 26 (E2) (Skyway)	Buendia Exit of Skyway; southbound exit and northbound entrance
		7.320	4.548	Arnaiz Avenue	Traffic light intersection; no right turn allowed from northbound and no left turn from southbound
		7.800	4.847	Don Bosco Street	Northbound access only; southbound access via U-turn slot under Magallanes Interchange
				AH 26 (E2) (Skyway)	Don Bosco Exit of Skyway; northbound entrance
				Makati Diversion Channel Bridge over Makati Diversion Channel[19]
		8.710	5.412	AH 26 (N1) / N145 (EDSA)	Magallanes Interchange; continues south as AH 26 (E2) (SLEX)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access

References[]