Osmeña Highway

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.[4] It traverses the districts of Malate and San Andres Bukid and crosses San Andres Street, Ocampo Street, and Zobel Roxas Street. It then enters the city of Makati and climbs over to pass above Gil Puyat Avenue through the Osmeña Flyover (also known as Buendia Flyover),[5] with service roads to serve that avenue and several side streets.[6] The first stage of the elevated Skyway starts on the ramps past the flyover.[7][8] 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.[1][9][10]

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.[9][10] 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).[11][12] It also handles the traffic management, alongside the local governments of Manila and Makati.[13]

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, given that the highway runs below Skyway. 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.[14][15] 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.[13]

An old illuminated 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. It was also known as and forms part of Manila South Diversion Road or simply as South Diversion Road.[16][17]

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.[2] 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.[3]

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, called Manila South Diversion Road (MSDR) or South Superhighway.[18][19][20] It was built in parallel to the Philippine National Railway's Batangas extension line and over the old Hernandez Street in San Andres, Manila.[21] The flyover that crosses above Buendia Avenue was later added on the highway, built in 1979.[1]

The highway was renamed in 1989 to President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Highway by virtue of Republic Act No. 6760.[2] The center island of Osmeña Highway's section from Zobel Roxas to EDSA underwent repairs by the then-municipal government of Makati in 1994.[22] The highway was also involved in the construction of Skyway Stage 1, which is built above its section south of Buendia, from 1995 to 1998. The Osmeña Flyover underwent repairs in 2011.[5] The highway would once again become involved in another Skyway construction, this time Skyway Stage 3 that commenced in 2014. With this, the Makati–Manila boundary marker that once stood on the highway was demolished on October 24, 2014.[23]

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).

Osmeña Highway's intersection with Gil Puyat Avenue beneath Osmeña 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. Northern terminus.
				Skyway	Quirino Exit of Skyway; northbound entrance and pending future southbound exit
		4.150	2.579	South Superhighway Bridge #1 over Estero de Paco[24]
				South Superhighway Bridge #2 over Estero de Tripa de Gallina[24]
		4.650	2.889	San Andres Street	Traffic light intersection; no left turn allowed from northbound and southbound.
				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 Osmeña 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 Osmeña Flyover
				Faraday Street	Southbound access only
		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[24]
		8.710	5.412	AH 26 (N1) (EDSA)	Magallanes Interchange (Southern terminus); continues south as AH 26 (E2) (SLEX)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Incomplete access