The Metro Manila Development Authority on Friday advised commuters and motorists to brace for a traffic gridlock along España Boulevard in Manila after it allowed the Department of Public Works and Highways to resume its reblocking operation in the area for six weekends.
MMDA acting general manager Jose Arturo Garcia said DPWH contractors will begin their road repairs starting next weekend, April 13 to 16, and will continue the following weekends until May 18 to 21.
One segment per lane along España Boulevard-westbound from Vicente G. Cruz to Arsenio H. Lacson Street will be closed to vehicular traffic at 10 p.m. on Fridays.
The MMDA Traffic Engineering Center said the entire road work will cover 166 meters stretch of España Boulevard.
The DPWH is also set to conduct road repairs along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue every weekend beginning Friday night (April 6) until November, this year.
“At 11 p.m. on Friday, one section on the southbound lane of Edsa from Eugenio Lopez Drive to Scout Borromeo in Quezon City will be closed to traffic. The affected lane would be passable on Monday 5 a.m.,” said Garcia.
The MMDA official said road repair will continue on more portions of Edsa up to Pinatubo area in Quezon City in the succeeding weekends until Nov. 2 to 4.
The massive road repair, according to Garcia, is part of DPWH’s road maintenance project intended to improve Edsa’s badly-damaged pavement. Entire roadwork will cover 1.6 kilometers stretch of Edsa.
“Road damage may get worse if we will delay the repair,” added Garcia.
Garcia said contractors were advised to observe guidelines in parking their equipment and the right procedure in pouring concrete so as to minimize obstructions along Edsa, the country’s busiest thoroughfare.
“Chairman Danilo Lim gave strict orders to follow the road repairs schedule and for the contractors not to obstruct traffic with their equipment and vehicles,” said Garcia.
The DPWH had started working on Edsa since last month. Areas covered by the ongoing repairs were the stretch of Aurora Boulevard to P. Tuazon on the southbound side and Nepa Q-Mart to Kamuning area on the northbound side.
The ongoing reblocking activities are being done one lane per every segment only during the weekends.
Based on records, around 300,000 vehicles pass by Edsa daily. Motorists are advised to avoid Edsa and use Mabuhay Lanes and other alternative routes to avoid being caught in traffic.
As this developed, authorities will impose a new traffic scheme on Commonwealth Avenue and Elliptical Road in Quezon City to help ease heavy traffic in the area due to the construction of Metro Railway Transit MRT-7.
Beginning today (Saturday), Maharlika Street from Elliptical Road to Masaya Street; and Masaya Street from Maginhawa Street to Commonwealth Avenue will become a one-way traffic.
The MMDA advised all public utility vehicles, including jeepneys and UV Express coming from Elliptical Road to take Maharlika Street, turn left at Masaya Street to destination.
To avoid confusion, MMDA acting general manager Jose Arturo Garcia said the agency will hold a dry run activity for the implementation of the new traffic scheme while most people are taking their day-off.
“On Monday, April 9, the traffic scheme will be fully implemented,” Garcia said.
The MMDA will also install plastic barriers to separate public utility vehicles going to different directions and fences to confine pedestrians to designated loading and unloading areas.
“Enforcement of traffic rules and regulations and discipline are the keys to address traffic problem here. We are asking for the cooperation of the public,” said Garcia.
The MMDA designed the new traffic scheme after motorists and commuters experienced heavier than usual traffic brought by the on-going construction of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 in the area.
The construction of MRT Line 7 Phase 1 is being undertaken stakeholder San Miguel Holdings Corp. through the consortium of Hyundai Rotem Co. and EEI Corp., its contractor.
The project involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the 23-km elevated railway line.
The MRT-7 line serves 14 stations from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan to MRT-3 North Avenue in Quezon City.
The stations are: North Avenue, Quezon City Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose del Monte.
Once the project is completed, the road component will divert northern provincial buses operation to San Jose Del Monte, thereby decongesting Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.