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9 de Julio Avenue & the Obelisk. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
 

Avenida 9 de Julio is an avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At 140 meters, it is the world's widest avenue. Its name honors Argentina's birthdate. (July 9, 1816).

The avenue runs from the Retiro district in the north to Constitucion station in the south, roughly one kilometer to the west of the Rio de la Plata waterfront.

Its north end is connected to Libertador avenue, which serves northwards traffic, and its south end is connected to the 25 de Mayo tollway (serving the West side of Greater Buenos Aires as well as Ezeiza airport) and the 9 de Julio elevated tollway that connects to the main roads to the South.

9 de Julio Avenue - Obelisk - Buenos Aires, Argentina

The avenue's unusual width is due to the fact that it spans en entire cuadra, the distance between two streets in the checkerboard pattern used in Buenos Aires.

The distance between adjacent streets is roughly 110 meters, greater than the equivalent Manhattan distance. The street flanking 9 de Julio to the east is called Carlos Pellegrini (north of Rivadavia) and Bernardo de Irigoyen (south of Rivadavia). The street flanking 9 de Julio to the west is called Cerrito (north of Rivadavia) and Lima (south of Rivadavia). Those lateral streets (which actually just add lanes to the avenue) are included in the 140 meter calculation.

 

The main
landmarks
along the
avenue are,
north to south:

- French Embassy
-
Fountain at the intersection with Cordoba Avenue
- Teatro Colon
- The western end of the Lavalle pedestrian street
- The Obelisk and Plaza de la Republica
- Statue of Don Quixote in the intersection with Avenida de Mayo
- The former Ministry of Communications building
- Constitucion station and Plaza Constitucion

The avenue was first planned in 1888 with the name of Ayohuma, but works started on the 9 July 1937. The main stretch of the avenue was completed in the 1960s. The southern connections were completed in 1980 as part of the construction of the tollway system,
 


Click on the Image to enlarge

which required massive demolitions in the area nex to Plaza Constitucion (which thus became the only major traffic pike in the city center) it combined with the forced relocation of thousands of residents. Line C of the Buenos Aires Metro runs for a stretch under the avenue. Line A, Line B, Line D, and Line E have stations when their course intersects the avenue. Notably, lines B, C, and D share a station underneath the Obelisk, which is the focal point of the subway system and features a commercial gallery which also serves as an underpass.

Crossing the avenue at street level often requires a few minutes, as all intersections have traffic lights. Under normal walking speed, it takes pedestrians normally two to three green lights to cross it.

The Obelisk: Was built in May 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city. It is located in the center of the Plaza de la República (Republic Square), at the intersection of Nueve de Julio and Corrientes avenues. Its total height is 67 meters (220 ft) and its base area is 49 square meters (530 square feet). It was designed by architect Alberto Prebisch, and its construction took barely four weeks. Is one of the main icons of the city, and a venue for various cultural activities and other events. It is the traditional gathering spot for sports fans to celebrate when their favourite team wins, especially from the national football team, often resulting in colorful events that attract media coverage. It was also used by several acrobatic troupes to perform high-wire acts.

If you are interested on visiting Buenos Aires and the "9 de Julio" avenue you can easily find cheap flights to Argentina from Europe and the US.

 

 

 

9 de Julio - Buenos Aires, Argentina


 


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