The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has decided to push through with the plan closing the Edsa U-turn slot situated near Bagong Barrio in Caloocan City beginning Monday.
“The U-turn slot located along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue in General Malvar / Bagong Barrio area shall be closed to vehicular traffic effective January 11, Monday, in line with the Department of Transportation’s EDSA Busway project,” the MMDA stated in advisory Friday.
Early last month, the MMDA canceled the closure of the U-turn slot upon the request of the Caloocan City government to postpone the scheduled closure, saying the move will cause heavy traffic in the area during the holiday season.
Motorists are advised to take the following detour routes:
From northbound going southbound, affected vehicles may take the Monumento Circle or those coming from Quezon City may also take Balintawak Cloverleaf.
To date, the MMDA has closed six U-turn slots to give way to the government’s Busway Project, which designates the innermost lane of Edsa as an exclusive lane for public utility buses (PUBs) traveling from Monumento, Caloocan to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, and vice versa.
The agency is in constant coordination with the Transportation department, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, in exploring ways to facilitate faster movement of both commuters and private motorists along the 23.8-km highway.
The gradual closure of Edsa U-turn slots started in September.