From Dec. 31 until Jan. 3 between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., the Quezon City government, along with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, is implementing a dry run of a zipper land and road diversion to ease the heavy traffic flow along Commonwealth Avenue.
With the ongoing “Build Build Build” projects of the national government, including the Metro Rail Transit line 7 partly along Commonwealth Avenue, traffic build-up is usually experienced from the Don Antonio area up to Quezon Memorial Circle westbound during rush hours.
To address the traffic woes, the city government has decided to open a zipper or counterflow lane in these areas.
“Since the MRT-7 construction in the Elliptical Road-North Avenue interchange will be extended for another two months, we will have to devise ways to ease up the flow of traffic especially after the holiday season,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
The city government piloted a dry run for a proposed zipper lane to be opened from the Luzon Avenue-Tandang Sora Avenue area, while on Jan. 2, another entrance would be opened in front of the University of the Philippines-Ayala Technohub.
The zipper lane will end at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue eastbound and University Avenue leading to UP–Diliman.
“Here motorists can turn left to enter UP and proceed to C.P. Garcia Ave. and onward, bypassing the heavily congested stretch of Philcoa until North Avenue during weekday morning rush hours,” the city government said.
Assistant city administrator Alberto Kimpo said the initiative is meant to give an alternative route to motorists.
“Instead of going through the traffic in the Philcoa area westbound, entering the Elliptical Road, all the way to North Avenue, motorists can use the zipper lane and go directly to C.P. Garcia,” he said.
Motorists coming from the Elliptical Road would have to turn right to University Avenue and make a U-turn in the crossing of University Avenue and C.P. Garcia Avenue to reenter Commonwealth Avenue.
Kimpo assured motorists that traffic enforcers, signages and barriers would be installed properly in the areas to guide motorists in this alternative traffic scheme.
“Aside from our Task Force on Transport and Traffic Management personnel, MMDA and the MRT-7 contractor EEI will help deploy additional manpower in the area to ensure smooth flow of traffic,” he said.
The city government aims to lessen the buildup along Commonwealth Avenue toward the Quezon Memorial Circle and shorten the travel time of most motorists.