The Metro Manila Development Authority on Tuesday advised commuters and motorists to brace for traffic in some parts of Quezon City due to the closure of the Quezon Avenue-Roosevelt Avenue intersection beginning this Saturday.
In its advisory, the MMDA stated that the closure will give way to the ongoing construction of Skyway Stage 3, one of the priority projects of the government under its Private-Public Partnership program, aimed to ease traffic in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Left-turning motorists from Roosevelt to Quezon Avenue may take the U-turn slot in front of Maxima.
“Roosevelt Avenue has become an alternate route for vehicles from the northern side of Araneta Avenue because of the Skyway Stage 3 project. This has resulted to an increase in left-turning traffic [average increase in the number of vehicles at 6,000 daily] and gridlock in the area,” the MMDA said.
“As such, traffic lights in the area will be in flashing mode and the u-turn slot will be opened for affected vehicles going to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue while the Skyway Stage 3 project is ongoing,” the agency added.
The Skyway 3 is supposed to be finished by December 2017 but because of the delay, the project will be completed by April 2018.
MMDA chairman Emerson Carlos said the Skyway 3 project is included in the list of government’s long-term solution to the worsening traffic problem in Metro Manila.
He said the government came up with the project based on the recommendation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in its comprehensive study “Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Its Surrounding Areas.”
The P26.7-billion Skyway Stage 3 project is a 14.8-kilometer, six-lane elevated expressway that will connect the end of the Skyway in Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly Buendia), Makati City to Balintawak in Quezon City.
Once completed, the project will link the South Luzon Expressway to the North Luzon Expressway and will have eight access points over Gil Puyat, Quirino, Nagtahan, Aurora Boulevard, E. Rodriguez, Quezon Avenue, Sgt. Rivera and Balintawak.