Final rerouting, closure of roads for Black Nazarene procession

MANILA, Philippines — The thick crowd of what authorities projected to reach eight to nine million devotees in this year’s procession for the Feast of the Black Nazarene will inch through the following streets, so best steer clear of them on Monday:

From Quirino Grandstand right to Katigbak Drive through P. Burgos, left at Taft Avenue through MacArthur Bridge, right at Palanca through MacArthur Bridge, left at Quezon Boulevard, right at Arlegui, then right at Fraternal, right Vergara, left at Duque de Alba, left at Castillejos, left at Farnecio, right at Arlegui, left at Nepomuceno, left at Aguila, right at Carcer, right at Hidalgo through Plaza del Carmen, left at Bilibid Viejo through Puyat, left at Guzman, right at Hidalgo, left at Barbosa, right at Globo de Oro through the Quezon Bridge, right at Palanca, right at Villalobos through Plaza Miranda going to Quiapo.

According to an advisory from the Manila District Traffic Enforcement Unit, heavy traffic will affect the following areas during the procession:

1. Stretch of Roxas Boulevard/Bonifacio Drive from Anda Circle to TM Kalaw north and southbound lanes
2. Southbound lane of Quexon Boulevard from Recto to Palanca (subway-Isetan Recto)
3. Stretch of Lerma from P. Campa to Quezon Boulevard
4. Taft Avenue/Finance (westbound lane)
5. Lagusnilad/P. Burgos (westbound lane)
6. P. Burgos/Taft Avenue (Freedom Triangle-Northbound lane)
7. Villegas/ N.A Lopez
8. 25th Street/Bonifacio Drive (southbound)

Authorities added that the following roads will be closed to traffic as well:

Road closure:

(4 a.m.) Southbound lane of Quezon Boulevard (Quiapo), from Andalucia/Fugoso to Plaza Miranda and Espana/P. Campa/Lerma shall be closed to traffic for public utility vehicles only.

(5 a.m.) Total closure for all types of vehicles.

Re-routing:

1. All vehicles coming from Quezon City using the stretch of Espana shall turn right at P. Campa, left Andalucia, right Furgoso, left T. Mapua to point of destination.
2. All PUJs/light vehicles coming from Espana intending to proceed to South Pier Zone turn left Nicanor Reyes, right Recto straight to JAS, left Reina Regente take Jones Bridge, right Magallanes Drive to point of destination.
3. All vehicles coming from northern part of Manila intending to utilize the stretch of Bonifacio Drive southbound shall turn right Roberto S. Oca St., left Delgado, left Bonifacio Drive (for Port Area offices) or shall take right to A. Soriano to Magallanes Drive, right P. Burgos, go straight to Lagusnilad to Taft Avenue
4. All vehicles coming from southern part of Manila intending to utilize the stretch of P. Burgos shall take TM Kalaw, left Taft Avenue, right Ayala to Ayala Bridge to point of destination.
5. Private vehicles coming from southern part of Manila intending to utilize northbound of Roxas Boulevard shall turn right Quirino Ave and take Nagtahan Bridge to destination.
6. All PUJs plying Monumento-Gasak-Recto intending to utilize Andalucia through Recto shall turn right Fugoso, right Oroqueta to point of origin.
7. All vehicles coming from Legarda shall turn right Recto or left Mendiola to point of destination.
8. All heavy vehicles/cargo trucks coming from south shall take Pres. Osmena, right Pres. Quirino to Nagtahan via AH Lacson to Capulong.
9. Other motorists intending to proceed to north of Manila or south of Manila shall use the stretch of Lacson to Nagtahan (vice-versa) or stretch of Road-10 to Roxas Boulevard (vice-versa) to point of origin.
10. All buses coming from eastern part of Manila particularly G-liner/RRCG utilizing Legarda shall turn right Palanca St., to Quiapo Ilalim to point of origin.
11. All buses coming from Taft Ave going to Fairview shall turn right UN Ave up to Otis, left Nagtahan go straight Lacson, right Espana to point of origin.
12. All buses coming southern part of Manila (Laguna and Cavite) using Taft Ave are not allowed to enter from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are allowed only up to Remedios Street right San Marcelino back to point of origin.

The MDTEU said that A. Villegas from Taft Avenue corner Freedom Triangle up to Met/Quezon Boulevard (P. Burgos) would only be one way (northbound) from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. to all types of vehicles.

The yearly procession commemorates the first transfer of the Black Nazarene icon to the Minor Basilica in Quiapo in 1767 and draws throngs of barefoot devotees.