P384-B INFRA UNDER WAY TO BRING EDSA TO NORMAL TRAFFIC

IN the coming years, more road spaces will be constructed to provide motorists alternative routes to the heavily congested 23.8-kilometer Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa). Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is implementing a massive decongestion program amounting P384 billion, in an effort to bring back Edsa to normal traffic flow level. “In close coordination with national government agencies, local government units and the private sector, we are pushing for the swift completion of our flagship infrastructure projects that will provide lasting solution to gridlocks in the National Capital Region [NCR],” said Villar. According to Villar, DPWH right-ofway Task Forces for flagship projects were already directed to intensify ROW acquisition efforts to ensure timely completion of projects in Mega Manila. Major road and bridge projects that are aimed for completion this year include—the 2.60-km Nlex Harbor Link, R-10 Exit Ramp which will reduce the one hour and 30 minutes travel from Port Area to Nlex toward the northern provinces of Luzon to 10 minutes; 3.2km Mindanao Avenue Extension Segment 2C which will reduce travel time between Quirino Highway and General Luis Road of the cities of Quezon, Valenzuela and Caloocan from the one hour and 30 minutes to 20 minutes; 18.30-km Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 that will cut the two hours travel from Buendia, Makati City to Balintawak, Quezon City to 15 to 20 minutes; 6.94-km Laguna Lake Highway to cut travel time from Taytay, Rizal to Bicutan from one hour to 30 minutes; 3.3-km Fort BonifacioNichols Road (Lawton Avenue) Widening to accommodate more vehicles; and the Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project that will reduce to 12 minutes travel time between BGC and Ortigas Central Business District. DPWH is also set to begin civil works on the following projects this year—8.35km Nlex Harbor Link Segment 8.2 that will cut the 45 minutes travel time from Mindanao Avenue to Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to 10 minutes; and the Pasig River and Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction Project inclusive of five bridges namely: North & South Harbor Bridge, Palanca-Villegas Bridge, and the Eastbank-Westbank Bridge 2 crossing Manggahan Floodway. Based on DPWH’s projected schedule, the public may expect the opening of 8-km Nlex-Slex Connector Road that will shorten travel time from Clark to Calamba from three hours to one hour and 40 minutes; 680-meter Binondo-Intramuros Bridge connecting Intramuros and Binondo, and 506-meter Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge connecting Estrella, Makati City to Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong in 2021; Nlex Harbor Link Segment 8.2; 2.39-km Section 1 Phase 1 of the 32-km Southeast Metro Manila Expressway, C6 in 2022; 2.02-km North & South Harbor Bridge connecting north and south harbor, 438-meter Palanca-Villegas Bridge connecting A. Villegas and Carlos Palanca Streets, and 929-meter Eastbank-Westbank Bridge 2 connecting Eastbank dike road and Westbank dike road at Cainta, Rizal by 2023.