NEWS

Johnson Manabat | ABS-CBN News | September 25, 2024 7:08PM

Workers are seen at a construction site along commonwealth avenue a day before National Heroes Day in Quezon City on August 26, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Transport experts on Wednesday weighed in on the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) idea of constructing a tunnel and creating a busway on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to alleviate traffic.

Traffic expert Rene Santiago told ABS-CBN News that authorities should have a long term traffic management plan to ease traffic woes in Commonwealth Avenue and in different major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

Santiago said having a tunnel in the area is not feasible especially since there is already an ongoing MRT-7 project.

“Sa Commonwealth, you can never have that dahil wala kang mga intersection. Walang nagpi-feed. The busway is nice to hear but once your MRT-7 is operational, karamihan ng mga bus dun walang sasakay. Kasi maraming nag-u-u-turn. Hindi dapat magkaroon ng u-turn, it’s a no-no ika nga sa traffic engineering. Mas mabilis pang lagyan mo na lang ng signal light na through traffic,” Santiago explained.

Meanwhile, AltMobility PH, an advocacy group, welcomed the idea of having a busway along Commonwealth Avenue.

AltMobility PH director Ira Cruz said a dedicated busway in one of the busiest streets in the metro will help ease the traffic congestion.

“Unang-una, tunnel definitely no, pero agree kami dun sa idea na magkaroon ng busway o dedicated bus lane sa Commonwealth. Yung Commonwealth kasi, sa aming mga transport planners, classic example yan na yung 1 more lane, kaka-road widen eh actually detrimental sa congestion, nakakalala pa lalo sa congestion,” Cruz told ABS-CBN News.

MMDA PROPOSAL

MMDA chairman Romando Artes explained that with the increasing volume of vehicles in the country, of which majority are registered in the National Capital Region, a tunnel is one of the best solutions.

“Talagang patuloy na bumibigat ang daloy ng traffic, dumami talaga yung sasakyan at hindi naman nadadagdagan yung kalsada. Nag-iisip kami ng pamamaraan, isa sa nairekomenda ng traffic engineering center natin na magkaroon ng tunnel para yung galing ng Commonwealth na pupunta po ng East Avenue at Quezon Avenue instead na umikot pa sa circle ay dumiretso na through the tunnel,” according to Artes.

Artes explained about 18,000 vehicles during morning rush hour from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. everyday are plying Commonwealth Avenue.

MMDA conducted a vehicle volume count along Commonwealth Avenue with a duration count of 14 hours last May 30, 2024 and it showed that a total of 244,689 motorists use the said highway daily.

Artes admits the agency is having a hard time managing the traffic congestion not only in Commonwealth but in different parts of Metro Manila.

Santiago is also not confident of how the government is addressing traffic woes.

Artes, meanwhile, clarified that the tunnel and busway proposal will be presented to the DPWH, which will conduct the feasibility study and costing and eventually implement the project.

Source: ABS-CBN News

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