Traffic on Edsa to ease by 20-30% in 1st half - DPWH
Traffic along the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) is expected to be reduced by 20-30 percent during the first half of this year with the opening of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 and other road projects in Metro Manila, the Department of Public Works and Highways ( DPWH) said on Wednesday.
However, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte's promise before about making the travel time between Cubao, Quezon City and Makati City to five minutes did not specifically pertain passing through Edsa.
"He (Duterte) did not say through Edsa. I think the President said Makati to Cubao in five minutes...once the Skyway is completed, there will be decongestion on Edsa, so it is possible," he said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
He urged the public not to focus anymore on "small details" as to whether the five-minute travel time from Cubao to Makati would be through Edsa or through other routes.
"Let us not focus on small details. What is important is under the term of the President, we can decongest Edsa and the five minutes (travel time) from Cubao to Makati (could be realized)," he explained.
Last year, Duterte expressed hope that by December last year, the travel time between Cubao and Makati could be cut to five minutes.
Villar said the San Miguel Corp.'s Skyway Stage 3 would be delivered by April or May.
"So, by April this year, 100,000 cars will be relieved from Edsa...so in the first half of this year, we will reduce traffic in Edsa by 20 to 30 percent," he said.
Edsa's capacity is approximately 288,000 cars per day, but currently, about 400,000 cars are using the whole stretch, which traverses six cities - Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.
Villar said the toll fee for the 18.3-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 could be P3 to P4 per kilometer.
Aside from the completion of the Skyway Stage 3, by March this year, the Harborlink extension connecting to the port would also be delivered, relieving Edsa of 30,000 cars a day, Villar said.
He said there are also other road and bridge projects in Metro Manila and which are expected to be completed under the Duterte administration.
"So we are confident that by end of the term of the President, Edsa will be back to its original capacity," he said.
To decongest Edsa, the government, with the participation of the private sector, is constructing 13 roads/expressways and 10 bridges amounting to P384 billion. Celerina Monte/DMS
