Traffic is expected to worsen this year as two major bridges in Metro Manila will be closed for rehabilitation this month, following a dramatic decrease in traffic speed in 2018 because of the rapidly growing number of vehicles, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
Edison “Bong” Nebrija, the agency’s traffic czar for Edsa (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue), said traffic would worsen once the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) starts retrofitting the Edsa-Guadalupe Bridge and Rockwell or Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in January.
Traffic management will be improved, but the situation will be difficult because of the closure of the two major bridges.
“We’ll make it better. On the other hand, I don’t want to level up the expectations of the people because construction work will begin at the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge and Edsa-Guadalupe Bridge,” he said.
For Edsa-Guadalupe Bridge, 40% of the structure will be retrofitted per segment for both the north and southbound sections, he said.
The DPWH will also resume work on the Estrella-Pantaleon that connects Makati and Mandaluyong City, after its closure was deferred in September because of complaints from the public and concerns over the bridge closure’s impact on businesses.
“Due to public clamour and apprehension of the business circle that the timing and closure will cause possible huge economic loss specially this coming holiday season, we are constrained to defer the implementation of the project,” the DPWH said.
Nebrija warned that should the two bridges be simultaneously closed, the public would experience the worst traffic in the first quarter of 2019 until 2020.
The agency, however, said the traffic problem in the major thoroughfare was solvable and that traffic speed could be optimised to 20 kilometres per hour (kph).
“Yes, I am very optimistic that we will keep it going a little bit faster. Target is 20kph … (but) will not happen overnight or a week,” he said.
Data from the MMDA showed that traffic on EDSA slowed down to 16.14kph in November from 19.37kph because of the 4.07% increase in vehicular volume.The volume of vehicles in Metro Manila grew by at least 20%, the MMDA said.
The MMDA is eyeing “intensified” road clearings on alternate routes for motorists seeking to avoid Edsa traffic. Also, the MMDA is considering a ban on provincial buses on Edsa to minimise the number of vehicles plying the metropolis’ busiest road.
To reduce traffic bottlenecks and provide “ease vents” for motorists, the MMDA also plans to narrow down lanes on Edsa to add more space for private vehicles.
It said the number of vehicles has exceed the major thoroughfare’s carrying capacity.
Nebrija said Edsa’s north and southbound sections would undergo narrowing, from Roxas Boulevard to Monumento.
The width of each lane on Edsa is 3.4 metres. The MMDA wants it reduced to 2.8 metres to open one more lane to private motorists on both lanes.
The existing five lanes each for northbound and southbound Edsa will become six each after placing the necessary markings.
The MMDA made recommendations to the Department of Public Works and Highways, the agency that has jurisdiction over the national road, in September.
“Under this new scheme, we want to push traffic forward and decongest vehicles on Edsa. The lane that will be opened from the narrowed lane will be for private cars,” Nebrija said.
Data from the MMDA showed that daily traffic volume on Edsa has reached 402,000 vehicles as of December 19, exceeding the daily carrying capacity of 288,000 by 40%.