The Public Works Department said it is on track toward resolving the traffic woes in Metro Manila in three years as it is spending over P160 billion next year alone for traffic decongestion program.
“We are on our way. This year, we are spending P160.8 billion for traffic decongestion. It’s a big investment of the government for infrastructure projects,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.
The agency’s traffic decongestion program involves the implementation of high standard highways/expressways; construction and widening of national roads and brides; construction of by-passes/diversion roads; and construction of flyovers, interchanges and underpasses.
“Once these projects are completed, the landscape not only in Metro Manila but nationwide would be changed,” Villar said.
A study by Japan International Cooperation Agency showed that traffic congestion was costing the economy P2.4 billion in terms of lost productivity a day. Without intervention, Jica estimated that traffic costs would increase to P6 billion a day.
The Public Works Department also budgeted P18.8 billion for convergence and rural road development, P95.9 billion for integrated and seamless transport system and P104.4 billion for livable, sustainable and resilient communities.
The agency has a budget of P643.25 billion in 2018, higher than this year’s P467.66 billon.
The agency is prioritizing the construction of the P3.03-billion Edsa-Taft flyover, which was put on hold in 2013. The planned flyover will span 1.2 kilometers, with two lanes in both directions on Edsa from Malibay Bridge in Makati City to F.B. Harrison Street in Pasay City.
The Public Works Department is also pursuing the construction of a bridge that would cross Pasig River to connect Bonifacio Global City in the Taguig-Makati area and Ortigas Center in Pasig.
Phase one will connect Sta. Monica Street in Kapitolyo, Pasig City to Lawton Avenue in Makati, while the second phase will run from Lawton to the Bonifacio Global City viaduct, then from Shaw Boulevard to the Sta. Monica viaduct.
Other projects are the C5 Road to Julia Vargas Flyover in Pasig City, Katipunan to C5 Road Flyover and Miriam to Gate 3 of Ateneo de Manila University flyover.