MMDA prepares for heavy traffic expected in 2018

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to lift on January 16 the moratorium on road works and diggings imposed during the holiday season.

The moratorium covered any digging in the road right-of-way, including passageways and sidewalks, within the cities or municipalities of Metro Manila for the installation, repair, or improvement of water pipes, telephone or telegraph wires or cable conduits, sewers and drainage systems, communication and power line improvements being undertaken by any government agency, public and private contractors.

The directive, issued on November 1, was to lessen the impact of ongoing construction works to Metro Manila’s heavy volume during the holidays.

Members of the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) are set to meet this month to draw up traffic plans ahead of the massive infrastructure projects to be constructed in 2018.

Bong Nebrija, MMDA operations supervisor, said the meeting would be led by the officials of the Department of Transportation that will be managing the infrastructure projects lined up under the “Build, Build, Build” program.

“We will discuss projects that will be coming up, discuss traffic measures to alleviate expected traffic congestion to be generated by the infrastructure projects,” said Nebrija.

Among the big ticket projects foreseen to impact the traffic situation in the metropolis are Metro Rail Transit-Light Rail Transit common station in second quarter; and LRT Line 1 extension to Cavite; Metro Manila’s first subway in the third quarter.

Also in the pipeline are North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 in Caloocan City and several bridges to be built by the Department of Public Works and Highways; rehabilitation of Guadalupe Bridge, among others.

Ongoing projects are Megawide Southwest Terminal, South Terminal; LRT line 2 extension project on Marcos Highway, and MRT 7.

“We want to know what the phasing and timetable of the projects,” said Nebrija.