Jones Bridge

Jones Bridge
Jones Bridge
	Jones Bridge at sunset
Coordinates	14°35′45″N120°58′38.3″E / 14.59583°N 120.977306°E
Carries	Motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles
Crosses	Pasig River
Locale	Manila, Philippines
Official name	William A. Jones Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)	Banzai Bridge (c. 1942)
Named for	William Atkinson Jones
Maintained by	City Government of Manila ; Department of Public Works and Highways - North Manila District Engineering Office
Preceded by	Binondo–Intramuros Bridge
Followed by	MacArthur Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Neoclassical arch bridge ; (1919–45); Girder bridge ; (1945–present)
Material	Steel-reinforced concrete
Total length	115 m (377 ft)
Width	16.70 m (54.8 ft)
Traversable?	yes
Longest span	300 m (984 ft)
No. of spans	3
Piers in water	2
Load limit	20 t (20,000 kg)
Clearance below	7.5 m (25 ft) at mean tide
No. of lanes	4 (2 per direction)
History
Designer	Juan M. Arellano ; (1919–20)
Constructed by	City Government of Manila (1919–20); Philippine Bureau of Public Works (1920, 1945); U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (1945)
Construction start	1919
Construction end	1920
Inaugurated	1921
Rebuilt	1946
Collapsed	February 1945
Replaces	Puente de España
Location

Last updated February 15, 2024

The William A. Jones Memorial Bridge, commonly known as the Jones Bridge, is an arched girder bridge that spans the Pasig River in the City of Manila, Philippines. It is named after the United States legislator William Atkinson Jones, who served as the chairman of the U.S. Insular Affairs House Committee which had previously exercised jurisdiction over the Philippines and the principal author of the Jones Law that gave the country legislative autonomy from the United States. Built to replace the historic Puente de España (Bridge of Spain) in the 1910s, the bridge connects Quintin Paredes Road at the Binondo district to Padre Burgos Avenue at the Ermita district.

Originally designed by Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano using French Neoclassical architecture, the first incarnation of the bridge features three arches resting on two heavy piers, adorned by faux-stone and concrete ornaments, as well as four sculptures on concrete plinths allegorically representing motherhood and nationhood. The original bridge was destroyed during the World War II by retreating Japanese troops and was reconstructed in 1946 by the U.S. and Philippine public works. The reconstructed bridge retained the three arches and two piers but removed all of the ornaments. The bridge was first partially restored in 1998. In 2019, the City Government of Manila began a rehabilitation project to "restore" the Jones Bridge to its near-original design using Beaux-Arts architecture similar to that of Pont Alexandre III in Paris and the return of the 3 extant La Madre Filipina sculptures (the 4th requiring reconstruction).

History

First Jones Bridge (1919-1945)

The original design of Jones Bridge. Jonesbridgebefore.jpg — The original design of Jones Bridge.

The Jones Bridge was originally commissioned under the auspices of the City Government of Manila in 1919 before the Insular Government, through the Philippine Bureau of Public Works, later took over in finishing the bridge's construction in 1920.^[5] The bridge was intended to replace the Puente de España (Bridge of Spain), the first bridge built to cross the Pasig River constructed during the Spanish colonial era and the last incarnation of bridges that span the same location since 1630. It collapsed during the heavy rains of September 1914 that weakened the central pier collapsing the middle span of the bridge. The Puente, which was located at one block upriver at Calle Nueva (now E.T. Yuchengco Street), was temporarily kept open using a temporary truss bridge while the new bridge is being constructed at Quintin Paredes Street.^[5]

The construction of new bridges were part of a master plan of Manila Daniel Burnham, who wanted to give emphasis to the city's rivers and likened them to the Seine River in Paris and the canals of Venice.^[5] This plan was heavily implemented and supervised by William E. Parsons, but upon the passage of the Jones Act, Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano took over and finished the bridge's final design. Jones died in 1918 while the bridge was still being planned, and the Filipinos named the passageway for the lawmaker behind the law that gave the country autonomy from the United States.^[5]

Arellano designed the bridge in the style of the passageways constructed during Haussmann's renovation of Paris.^[5] He embellished the piers with a statues of boys on dolphins, similar to those on the Pont Alexandre III at the river Seine (which he had previously visited).^[5] Similar to the Parisian Pont, he marked both ends of the bridge with four plinths and commissioned a sculptor named Martinez to build four statues, called La Madre Filipina (The Philippine Motherland), which would be placed on the pedestals.^[5]

World War II

The bridge was renamed to Banzai Bridge during the Japanese occupation, by virtue of Executive Order No. 41 issued by Philippine Executive Commission Chairman Jorge B. Vargas in 1942.^[6] During the Second World War, the Japanese Army bombed the bridge against the incoming American troops during the Battle of Manila.^[7]^[5] One of the four statues was permanently lost during the destruction.^[5] After the war, a Bailey bridge was set up as a temporary passageway for vehicles while the main bridge itself is being rebuilt.^[5]

Gallery of the Jones Bridge at the end of World War II

The Jones Bridge and its surrounding buildings destroyed following the Liberation of Manila
Aerial view of the temporary Bailey bridge and Ermita
1947 reconstruction of Jones Bridge

Second Jones Bridge (1946-present)

Post-war reconstruction

Following the passage of the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1945, the Philippine Bureau of Public Works and the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads reconstructed the Jones and Quezon bridges using large and deep steel girders.^[5]^[8] Upon its completion, none of its original ornamentation on either piers and balustrades were restored, and its neoclassical aesthetic were replaced with an unadorned architecture in an urgent haste to finish its reconstruction.^[5] The three remaining La Madre Filipina statues were also removed and its plinths were demolished. One was relocated within Rizal Park while the two others are relocated at the entrance of the Court of Appeals Main Building.

1998 restoration

In 1998, in celebration of the Philippine Centennial Independence, the bridge was partially restored by architect Conrad Onglao, who was commissioned by then-First Lady Amelita Ramos. Stone balustrades replaced the post-modern steel design.^[5] During the time of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, the steel girders were lighted and thematic lamp post were added onto the bridge, which drew mixed reactions. Two fu dogs were also added at the base of the bridge's south side, which gave it a Chinese character as opposed to its original neoclassical design.

2019 redevelopment

In 2019, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced plans to "restore" the Jones Bridge to its near-original architecture, including the return of the three surviving sculptures that had previously guarded the bridge, using the ₱20 million that were donated towards the project.^[9]^[10] The fourth sculpture destroyed by the war was replicated using the archives of the pre-war Jones Bridge in the National Library of the Philippines.^[10] Moreno commissioned Jose Acuzar, owner of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar to design and build Beaux-Arts-styled lamp posts similar to those on Pont Alexandre III. The four plinths for the La Madre Filipina statues were reconstructed that would act as the pedestal for the returning sculptures.^[10]^[11] Retrofit and repair works were also done at the steel girders of the bridge.

The statues of Gratitude and Democracy were reinstated at the bridge on November 22. Jones Bridge was inaugurated on November 24, 2019, and was formally opened to the public. However, the remaining statues of La Madre Filipina located at the grounds of the Court of Appeals were deemed too fragile to be moved for relocation to its original spot. They were instead replicated, then reinstated at their original location in June 2021.

Sculptures

Four statues that guarded the bridge are collectively called La Madre Filipina (The Philippine Motherland). Three of them were spared from the war but was relocated. The fourth one was destroyed and it was replicated in the 2019 redevelopment. Each statue symbolizes the different aspect of nationhood since the Philippines at the time was transitioning from being a colony of the United States to gaining its independence.

Gratitude: located at the southeast portion of the bridge, this sculpture was transferred to Rizal Park after World War II and was reinstated back to its original location after 74 years. It was prominently called as La Madre Filipina while on display at the park.
Democracy: destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945. It was replicated in 2019 using archives provided by the National Library of the Philippines and was installed at the southwest corner of the bridge where the former statue once stood.
Progress: located on the northwest portion of the bridge. It symbolizes, labor, education and power. A replica of the original statue was installed in June 2021, together with Justice. The original one located on the grounds of the Court of Appeals was deemed too fragile to be relocated.
Justice: located on the northeast side of the bridge, it symbolizes law and order, and equality under the law. A replica of the original statue was installed June 2021, together with Progress. The original one located on the grounds of the Court of Appeals was deemed too fragile to be relocated.

Traffic

The Jones bridge rarely suffers from traffic congestion, which usually occurs at both ends of the bridge due to parking violations.^[12] Water buses of Pasig River Ferry Service also habitually pass under it to reach its Escolta Street station.^[13] Every January 9 of the year since 2013, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority annually closes the bridge from car passage for a procession during the Feast of the Black Nazarene after the Department of Public Works and Highways deemed the nearby MacArthur Bridge unstable to accommodate increasing foot traffic during the festivities.^[14] However, the Translacion was rerouted to Ayala Bridge starting 2020, which has been recently retrofitted.

Incidents

In 1989, the bridge was the location of an ambush in which P2 million cash was stolen, and two policemen were killed.^[15]

In 2012, the Philippine Coast Guard issued a ban on swimming along the Pasig River after three floating bodies were discovered within the vicinity of the bridge.^[16] In 2019, Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission rescued three teenagers who were struggling in swimming under the bridge from drowning.^[17]

In popular culture

The bridge was featured on 2021 Philippine romantic fantasy The Lost Recipe .
The 2007 Filipino film The Promise has a scene in where Daniel (Richard Gutierrez) was tasked to assassinate someone underneath the bridge's tunnel, although he was unable to do it and sets the man free afterwards.
The bridge serves as the backdrop for the 1989 film Jones Bridge Massacre: Task Force Clabio starring Lito Lapid, which was based on real-life events.

Gallery

Jones Bridge in the 1930s
Jones Bridge after the Battle of Manila in 1947
Jones Bridge in 2016
Carriageway of the bridge prior to the 2019 redevelopment
Jones Bridge in 2021
Jones Bridge at sunset
Water reflections in 2024

Related Research Articles

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The Pasig River is a water body in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25.2 kilometers (15.7 mi), it bisects the Philippine capital of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern halves. Its major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River. The total drainage basin of the Pasig River, including the basin of Laguna de Bay, covers 4,678 square kilometers (1,806 sq mi).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasig River Ferry Service</span> Water transportation in Metro Manila, the Philippines

The Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) is a public water bus service based in Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is currently the only water-based transportation service in Metro Manila that cruises the length of the Pasig River and Marikina River, passing through the cities of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Marikina, and Taguig.

The Puente de España, or the Bridge of Spain, was a bridge that spanned the Pasig River in the Philippines, connecting the areas of Binondo and Ermita, Manila on Calle Nueva with central Manila. The span was the oldest established in the country before it was damaged by flood in 1914. The bridge was replaced by the Jones Bridge that was started in 1916 and completed in 1921, located one block downriver from Puente de España on Calle Rosario.

The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) is a proposed elevated expressway in Metro Manila, Philippines that will skirt the banks of the Pasig River and connect the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Taguig and the municipality of Taytay. The expressway is being proposed to alleviate east-west traffic congestion in Metro Manila. It is a joint venture between the Philippine National Construction Corporation and the San Miguel Corporation. The project broke ground on September 24, 2021, while construction of the expressway has yet to start pending the approval of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Bonifacio Drive is a road running for approximately 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) in a north-south direction between Intramuros and Port Area in Manila, Philippines. The boulevard is also designated as Radial Road 1 (R-1) of Manila's arterial road network, National Route 120 (N120) of the Philippine highway network and an auxiliary route of Asian Highway 26 (AH26).

Mel Lopez Boulevard is a 6.2-kilometer (3.9 mi), six-to-ten lane divided highway in northern Manila, Philippines, connecting Bonifacio Drive in Port Area in the south with Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Navotas in the north. The highway is the main component of the R-10 network, which runs north of the Pasig River until Anda Circle, and is an extension of Bonifacio Drive, running north–south through the Manila North Port area serving the coastal districts of Tondo and Port Area, as well as San Nicolas and Intramuros.

The Anda Monument, often erroneously referred to as the Anda Circle after the roundabout it is currently located, is an obelisk monument situated in the boundary of Intramuros and Port Area in central Manila, Philippines. It was erected in honor of Simón de Anda y Salazar, the Governor General of the Philippines from 1770 to 1776. The Anda Circle, the roundabout, is an interchange system at the junction of Bonifacio Drive, Mel Lopez Boulevard, Andres Soriano Avenue, and Roberto Oca Street.

The Liwasang Bonifacio, also known by its former name, Plaza Lawton, is a city square and transport hub in front of the Manila Central Post Office in the Ermita district of Manila, Philippines. It lies at the south end of Jones Bridge, MacArthur Bridge, and Quezon Bridge that link the northern districts of Binondo, Santa Cruz, and Quiapo to the central district of Ermita. The plaza straddles the dividing line between Ermita and Intramuros and is the starting point of Padre Burgos Avenue which connects to Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard in Rizal Park.

Plaza Mexico is a historic riverside square in Manila, Philippines, located at the west end of Magallanes Drive and Riverside Drive in Intramuros bordering the Pasig River in the north. It is surrounded by the Aduana Building on the south, the Bureau of Immigration Building on the east and the ruins of the Bastión de Maestranza and Puerta de Almacenes on the west. The Pasig River Ferry has a station also named Plaza Mexico located northeast of the square behind the Immigration building. The square was named Plaza Mexico in 1964 to commemorate the 4th centenary of the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and Andres de Urdaneta from New Spain (Mexico) and the historic Manila-Acapulco galleon trade relations between the two nations that lasted 250 years.

The Estrella–Pantaleon Bridge, also known as the Rockwell Bridge, is a four-lane box girder bridge crossing the Pasig River in Metro Manila, Philippines. It connects Estrella Street in Makati on the south bank of the Pasig River, to Pantaleon Street via Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong on the north bank, near the site of the Acqua Private Residences.

The Binondo–Intramuros Bridge is a tied-arch bridge in Manila, Philippines that spans the Pasig River. It connects Muelle de Binondo in Binondo and in San Nicolas to Solana Street and Riverside Drive in Intramuros. The bridge has four lanes and exhibits a steel bowstring arch design with inclined arches. It has a length of 680 meters (2,230 ft).

References

1 2 3 "Detailed Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
↑ Structura (2019).
↑ NGS (1940), p. 127.
↑ MMUTIS (1999), p. 37.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alcazaren (2001).
↑ Executive Order No. 41 (1942), Changing the name of Dewey Boulevard to Heiwa Boulevard; Taft Avenue to Daitoa Avenue; Harrison Boulevard to Koa Boulevard; Jones Bridge to Banzai Bridge; Harrison Park to Rizal Park; and Wallace Field and Burnham Green to Plaza Bagong Filipinas , retrieved April 26, 2021
↑ Arnold (2015).
↑ United States. Bureau of Public Roads (1945).
↑ Domingo, Katrina (September 12, 2019). "Mayor Isko receives P20M from Chinese businessmen for Manila bridge project". ABS-CBN Corporation . Retrieved October 20, 2019.
1 2 3 "The Capital Report". City of Manila. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ "Look: New lampposts along Jones Bridge". ABS-CBN. October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ Cahiles-Magkilat, Bernie (September 5, 2018). "Chamber opposes China-funded Binondo-Intramuros bridge". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ "Pasig River Ferry FAQ". MMDA . Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ "DPWH cautions use of MacArthur and Quezon bridges in Manila for Black Nazarene translacion activities". Republic of the Philippines. September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ Ignacio, Bert; Fernando, Jean (June 13, 1989). "Soldiers, not cops, in Jones Bridge ambush". Manila Standard . Kagitingan Publications, Inc. p. 7. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
↑ Macairan, Evelyn (March 7, 2012). "PCG: Ban swimming in Pasig River". Philippine Star. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
↑ Baron, Gabriela (August 10, 2019). "Three minors rescued from drowning in Pasig River". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

Arnold, Henry H. (2015). American Airpower Comes of Age. Pickle Partners Publishing. ISBN 978-1786251527.
MMUTIS (March 1999). Technical Report Number 12: Water Transport in Metro Manila (PDF). Japan International Cooperation Agency . Retrieved October 20, 2019.
United States. Bureau of Public Roads (1945). Report - U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. U.S. Government Printing Office.
Alcazaren, Paulo (September 29, 2001). "Jones Bridge Diary: The link to a romantic past". Philippine Star . Retrieved October 20, 2019.
NGS (1940). "United States Coast Pilot: Philippine Islands". 613–614 (613–614). U.S. Government Printing Office.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Structurae. "Jones Bridge". International Database for Civil and Structural Engineering. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[bridges-1] 1 2 3 "Detailed Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved March 17, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEStructura2019-2] Structura (2019).

[FOOTNOTENGS1940127-3] NGS (1940), p. 127.

[FOOTNOTEMMUTIS199937-4] MMUTIS (1999), p. 37.

[FOOTNOTEAlcazaren2001-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alcazaren (2001).

[6] Executive Order No. 41 (1942), Changing the name of Dewey Boulevard to Heiwa Boulevard; Taft Avenue to Daitoa Avenue; Harrison Boulevard to Koa Boulevard; Jones Bridge to Banzai Bridge; Harrison Park to Rizal Park; and Wallace Field and Burnham Green to Plaza Bagong Filipinas , retrieved April 26, 2021

[FOOTNOTEArnold2015-7] Arnold (2015).

[FOOTNOTEUnited_States._Bureau_of_Public_Roads1945-8] United States. Bureau of Public Roads (1945).

[ABS-CBN_1-9] Domingo, Katrina (September 12, 2019). "Mayor Isko receives P20M from Chinese businessmen for Manila bridge project". ABS-CBN Corporation . Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[Capital_Report-10] 1 2 3 "The Capital Report". City of Manila. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[ABS-CBN_2-11] "Look: New lampposts along Jones Bridge". ABS-CBN. October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[Manila_Bulletin-12] Cahiles-Magkilat, Bernie (September 5, 2018). "Chamber opposes China-funded Binondo-Intramuros bridge". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[MMDA-13] "Pasig River Ferry FAQ". MMDA . Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[DPWH-14] "DPWH cautions use of MacArthur and Quezon bridges in Manila for Black Nazarene translacion activities". Republic of the Philippines. September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[15] Ignacio, Bert; Fernando, Jean (June 13, 1989). "Soldiers, not cops, in Jones Bridge ambush". Manila Standard . Kagitingan Publications, Inc. p. 7. Retrieved June 8, 2021.

[Philippine_Star_1-16] Macairan, Evelyn (March 7, 2012). "PCG: Ban swimming in Pasig River". Philippine Star. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

[Manila_Bulletin_2-17] Baron, Gabriela (August 10, 2019). "Three minors rescued from drowning in Pasig River". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.

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