Ortigas Interchange

Not to be confused with Circumferential Road 5–Ortigas Avenue Interchange.

The Ortigas Interchange, also known as the EDSA–Ortigas Interchange or the Ortigas Flyover, is a three-level partial stack interchange at the boundary between Mandaluyong and Quezon City in Metro Manila, Philippines, which serves as the junction between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Ortigas Avenue. Originally a regular four-way intersection, the current interchange was built in 1991 as the flagship infrastructure project of President Corazon Aquino.^[1]

Ortigas Interchange
EDSA–Ortigas Interchange Ortigas Flyover
View of the Ortigas Interchange from the BSA Twin Towers in Ortigas Center, with Araneta City in the background
Location
Mandaluyong and Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates	14°35′35.36″N 121°3′30.44″E
Roads at junction	AH 26 (N1) (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) N60 / N184 (Ortigas Avenue)
Construction
Type	Three-level partial stack interchange
Opened	December 23, 1991 (1991-12-23)
Maintained by	Department of Public Works and Highways

History

The EDSA-Ortigas Interchange on the ground level prior to the construction of its pedestrian footbridges

The primary impetus for constructing the Ortigas Interchange was the need to improve travel times along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), with the road already suffering from severe traffic congestion. On January 11, 1991, President Corazon Aquino approved the construction of the interchange along with two other major road projects. However, the urgent need to resolve traffic problems on EDSA allowed for the project to be expedited.^[2]

Construction of the ₱400 million interchange began on April 1, 1991,^[3] with work being contracted to F. F. Cruz and Co., one of the Philippines' largest construction companies, under the supervision of the Department of Public Works and Highways.^[4] The interchange's northbound lanes were opened to traffic on December 23, 1991.^[3]

Between 1993 and 1998, maintenance of the Ortigas Interchange was handled by the Manila Jaycees under an agreement that the group signed with the Metropolitan Manila Authority.^[5]

During the Second EDSA Revolution in 2001, crowds gathered around the Ortigas Interchange and the EDSA Shrine, demanding President Joseph Estrada's resignation.

Criticism

Though intended to alleviate traffic congestion on the Ortigas portion of EDSA, the Ortigas Interchange has been criticized for worsening traffic congestion. In a column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the at-grade service roads of the Ortigas Interchange were criticized in 2013 for being "too narrow" at two to three lanes per direction. The pavement quality on the southbound service road at the time was also criticized as poor, causing motor vehicles to drive slowly on the service road and contributing to the traffic congestion in the area.^[6]

In 2018, a spiral staircase along the EDSA-Ortigas pedestrian footbridge was criticized on social media for its "narrow and dizzy" design. The staircase was originally constructed in 2008 for disembarking provincial bus passengers to climb the footbridge.^[7]

As of July 2020, with the implementation of the EDSA Carousel on the dedicated EDSA Busway, city buses no longer traverse the service roads at the Ortigas Interchange and instead use the northbound and southbound flyovers.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
• Ortigas Avenue

References

1. Aquino, Corazon C.; et al. (1992). The Aquino administration: record and legacy (1986-1992). Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. p. 257. ISBN 9715420095.
2. Agatep, Primo (January 11, 1991). "Cory approves construction of 3 interchanges". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
3. Villanueva, Marichu A. (December 22, 1991). "North-bound EDSA fly-over opens to traffic tomorrow". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
4. Camus, Miguel R. (May 20, 2013). "Felipe F. Cruz, PH's construction pioneer, dies at 93". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
5. Marasigan, Feruan (March 19, 1993). "Civic group agrees to maintain major flyover". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
6. Santos, Botchi (July 2, 2013). "A dedicated traffic czar may be the answer to the Edsa puzzle". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
7. Adel, Rosette (November 12, 2018). "MMDA: Spiral staircase at Ortigas-EDSA footbridge meant for provincial bus passengers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 30, 2023.