Magsaysay Boulevard

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Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, commonly known as Magsaysay Boulevard, is a major east–west road in Manila and parts of Quezon City. It is a six-lane divided street about 2.2 kilometers long, running from Lacson Avenue and the Nagtahan Interchange in the west to Gregorio Araneta Avenue and Aurora Boulevard in the east. The boulevard forms the boundary between Sampaloc in the north and Santa Mesa in the south, with the LRTA’s Line 2 running along its median.

The road begins as a continuation of Legarda Street past Lacson Avenue and Nagtahan Street (both part of Circumferential Road 2) and continues toward Quezon City, where it links with Aurora Boulevard. To the west, it becomes Legarda Street as it leads toward San Miguel and Quiapo. The line 2 trains have two stations along Magsaysay Boulevard: Pureza and V. Mapa. The Santa Mesa railway station is nearby, near the Polytechnic University of the Philippines campus on Hipodromo and Anonas Streets.

Nearby major landmarks include the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sogo Grand Hotel, and SM City Sta. Mesa.

History and name: the boulevard is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh president of the Philippines. It was formerly Calle Santa Mesa and then Santa Mesa Boulevard. The road trace goes back to old Calle Santa Mesa, which extended to Santol Street, and the area was once part of Highway 53. The current route follows the old Santa Mesa Street to Quezon City, with the segment between Nagtahan and Old Santa Mesa Road once serving as a tranvia right-of-way until 1945.

In 1972, the R. Magsaysay Bridge II was built to cross the Philippine National Railways tracks. It was decommissioned in 2022 to make way for the NLEX Connector, whose interchange with the boulevard opened on October 28, 2023. Construction of the LRTA Line 2 began in 1997, and the line along the boulevard opened for train operations in 2004.