MacArthur Bridge (Manila)

MacArthur Bridge
MacArthur Bridge towards Santa Cruz, Manila
Coordinates	14.5947°N 120.9813°E / 14.5947; 120.9813
Carries	Four lanes of N150, pedestrians and vehicles
Crosses	Pasig River
Locale	Manila, Philippines
Named for	Douglas MacArthur
Maintained by	Department of Public Works and Highways – North Manila District Engineering Office
Preceded by	Jones Bridge
Followed by	Quezon Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Beam bridge
Material	Reinforced concrete
Total length	116 m (381 ft)[1]
Width	17.85 m (58.6 ft)[1]
Traversable?	Yes
No. of spans	3
Piers in water	2
Load limit	20 t (20,000 kg)[2]
No. of lanes	4 (2 per direction)
History
Inaugurated	1952
Replaces	Santa Cruz Bridge
Location

The MacArthur Bridge is a road bridge crossing the Pasig River between Padre Burgos Avenue in Ermita and the intersection of Plaza Santa Cruz Road, Carriedo Street, Palanca Street, and Escolta Street in Santa Cruz. It replaced the Santa Cruz Bridge that was destroyed during World War II. The bridge is named after General Douglas MacArthur, whose military operations led to the liberation of the Philippines during World War II.^[3]

History

The MacArthur Bridge replaced the older Santa Cruz Bridge, which was bombed when the Japanese retreated during the Battle of Manila.^[4][5] The bridge was constructed after the war and opened in 1952.

Use on the procession of the Black Nazarene

The bridge was originally part of the procession route during the Feast of the Black Nazarene every January 9 from 2007 to 2013. However, after the Department of Public Works and Highways declared the bridge unstable and deemed it insufficient to carry millions of devotees, the processions were rerouted to the adjacent Jones Bridge.^[6][7][8]

Douglas MacArthur monument

A monument to Douglas MacArthur stood at the foot of the south end of the bridge. The monument first stood on the façade of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila before it was moved into its present location after 1997.^[9]

See also

• List of crossings of the Pasig River
• List of places named for Douglas MacArthur

References

1. "Detailed Bridge Inventory". dpwh.gov.ph. Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
2. "Nazarene procession to skip MacArthur Bridge". ABS-CBN News. January 6, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
3. "Joint Resolution No. 3". Official Gazette. July 4, 1945. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
4. Zurbano, Joel E. (January 9, 2013). "Public warned over 2 bridges". Manila Standard Today. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
5. Gopal, Lou (August 8, 2012). "Santa Cruz". Manila Nostalgia. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
6. Sebastián, Raymond A. (January 7, 2014). "Jones bridge to receive Quiapo devotees anew". CBCP News. Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
7. "NAZARENE WATCH | Bridge in procession route won't be able to carry devotees' weight, DPWH warns". Interaksyon. News5. January 6, 2014. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
8. "DPWH cautions use of MacArthur and Quezon bridges in Manila for Black Nazarene translacion activities" (Press release). Department of Public Works and Highways. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
9. Betia, James (August 26, 2011). "6 Misplaced Landmarks in Manila". Journeying James. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2016.