Session Road
Session Road is a six-lane 1.7-kilometer (1.1 mi) major road in Baguio, Philippines. The entire road forms part of National Route 231 (N231) of the Philippine highway network.[1]
.svg.png.webp) | |
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 Session Road looking south near the Baguio Cathedral | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office | |
| Length | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Component highways | N231 |
| Restrictions |
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| Major junctions | |
| North end | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} N231 (Shanum Street) / N204 (Magsaysay Avenue) |
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| South end | N231 (Loakan Road) / Military Cut-off Road / South Drive |
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Major cities | Baguio |
| Highway system | |
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Route description
Session Road is the main thoroughfare of Baguio in the Philippines and is the main hub of what is called the Baguio Central Business District.
Lower Session Road
The Lower Session Road extends eastward from Magsaysay Avenue (opposite the Plaza or kilometer zero and Malcolm Square) running through the BCBD until the intersections of Father Carlu Street (towards the Baguio Cathedral and Upper Bonifacio Street) and Governor Pack Road. This is the area where businesses are located, among others banks, shops, restaurants, bakeries, hotels, newsstands, boutiques, and studios.
Upper Session Road
The Upper Session Road extends from Post Office Loop, Leonard Wood Road, and the foot of Luneta Hill (where SM City Baguio is located) to the rotunda cutting toward South Drive (towards Baguio Country Club), Loakan Road (towards Camp John Hay, Loakan Airport, Philippine Military Academy, Baguio City Economic Zone, and the mine areas of Itogon, Benguet), and Military Cut-Off (towards Kennon Road).
History
Session Road derives its name from the fact that it used to lead up to the old Baden-Powell Hall, where the Philippine Commission held its sessions from April 22 to June 11, 1904, and officially initiated the use of Baguio as the Philippine Summer Capital. The Commission was composed of Governor General Luke E. Wright, president, and Commissioners Henry Ide, Dean Conant Worcester, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Benito Legarda, Jose de Luzuriaga, James Francis Smith and William Cameron Forbes. A marker by what is now Baden-Powell Inn, beside the enormous bus terminals on Governor Pack Road, stands as the only visible evidence that anything of historical significance ever took place on Session Road.
Session Road used to host Japanese bazaars in the 1920s and 1930s. During World War II, the road was almost obliterated when the Americans bombed Baguio to liberate it from the Japanese.[2]
The road was also part of Highway 11 or Route 11 that served the Cordillera Range.[3]
Intersections
The entire route is located in Baguio. Intersections are numbered by kilometer posts, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero.
| km | mi | Destinations | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N231 (Shanum Street) / N204 (Magsaysay Avenue) | Terminus. Traffic light intersection. Access to Saint Louis University, Burnham Park, Baguio City Hall, La Trinidad via Buhagan (Bokawkan) Road & La Union/Manila via N54 (Naguilian Road) | |||||
| Perfecto Street | ||||||
| Mabini Street | One-way road | |||||
| F. Calderon Street | Access to Burnham Park | |||||
| Assumption Road | One-way road. Access to University of Baguio | |||||
| Fr. Carlu Street | Access to Baguio Cathedral | |||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} N110 (Governor Pack Road) | ||||||
| Post Office Loop | Access to Baguio City Central Post Office, DICT-Benguet & DOTr-CAR | |||||
| Luneta Hill Drive | Access to SM City Baguio. Terminates at Session Road before North Drive and Kalaw Street crossing | |||||
| N110 (Leonard Wood Road) | One-way road | |||||
| North Drive, T.M. Kalaw Street | Former traffic light intersection. Right turn only for vehicles coming from Lower Session Road. Access to Sunshine Park & University of the Philippines Baguio | |||||
| T.M. Kalaw Street | One-way only to Session Road | |||||
| Utility Road | ||||||
| Marcoville Road | ||||||
| DPS Compound Access Road | ||||||
| N231 (Loakan Road) / Military Cut-off Road / South Drive | Roundabout terminus. Access to Camp John Hay & Itogon via Loakan Road; Wright Park & Baguio Country Club via South Drive; Manila/La Union/Pangasinan from N208 (Marcos Highway) and N54 (Kennon Road) via Military Cut-off Road | |||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||||
In popular culture
A local Philippine band called sessiOnroad based their name on the famous thoroughfare.
References
- "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- Cabreza, Vincent (November 20, 2022). "Breathing life into Baguio's heritage street". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- 1944 Army Map Service Road Map of Northern Luzon, Philippines (Map). 1:500000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service. 1944. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
External links
 Major roads in Benguet | ||||||||
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| National roads |
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