Commuters in Metro Manila can look forward to a potentially smoother journey in the near future as the government rolls out a comprehensive strategy to address worsening traffic gridlock in the metropolis.
This plan, discussed at a recent Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Concerns, focuses on identifying and eliminating bottlenecks while creating alternative routes for a more efficient flow of traffic.
The urgency for action is evident. The 2023 TomTom Traffic Index ranked Metro Manila 9th worst globally, with motorists spending an average of 25 minutes and 30 seconds to travel just 10 kilometers in 2023. This translates to a 50-second increase compared to 2022, highlighting the worsening situation.
A 2018 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency also estimated that traffic congestion costs the Philippines a staggering P3.5 billion daily.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, during the meeting, unveiled a strategic transportation improvement plan to decongest Metro Manila, which include expansion and upgrading of transportation infrastructure including the construction of new roads and bridges.
Bonoan said traffic decongestion program is one of the key strategic infrastructure programs of the department that is aligned with the 2023-2028 Philippine Development Plan and consistent with the President’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda to reduce transport and logistics cost.
The program focuses on the improvement and expansion of the national road network by building more by-passes, diversion roads, expressways, flyovers, interchanges and underpasses.
Bonoan underscored the need for collaborative efforts between government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and the community to implement the decongestion plan successfully.
He said that the agency is prioritizing the construction of new bridges crossing Pasig River and Manggahan Floodway, that will provide alternative linkages between major thoroughfares and increase the number of usable roadways that would decongest traffic in EDSA and other major roads in Metro Manila.
Another project that will decongest and bypass EDSA is the 7.7-kilometer NLEX-SLEX Connector Road. This elevated expressway mostly traversing along the PNR rail track from Caloocan to Plaza Dilao in Manila will reduce travel time from SLEX to NLEX from 2 hours to 20 minutes.
The project is already 95 percent substantially completed and now has three (3) interchanges located in C3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan, and España and Magsaysay Boulevard in Manila.
Targeted to be fully completed this year, the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project will bring great comfort to many of our motorists once fully operational to its connection with Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Another project is the 32-kilometer Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (C6 Expressway, Phase I) which will reduce travel time from Bicutan to Batasan from 2 hours to 30 minutes. Right-of-way acquisition is ongoing.
The C5 South Link Expressway will reduce travel time from R-1 Expressway to SLEX/C5 from 40 minutes to 10 minutes. The Merville to C5/SLEX and E. Rodriguez to Merville Sections are operational.
Bonoan added that the 44-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway will cut travel time from CAVITEX in Kawit to SLEX Mamplasan in Laguna from 2 hours to 35 minutes. The 17.4 kilometers from SLEX Mamplasan to Silang-Aguinaldo Interchange is already operational, while the remaining sections will be completed next year.
He assured that the DPWH will continue to develop and conduct further study on infrastructure projects that will alleviate traffic in Metro Manila in coordination with various stakeholders.
The agency will also continue assisting MMDA in road clearing and removal of obstructions as well as promote active transport by building more bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure in coordination with the Department of Transportation.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista earlier said that the construction of railway systems in the country will provide permanent solutions to the traffic problem in the metropolis.
“Our flagship road and rail infrastructures aim to alleviate traffic by offering comfortable, efficient and accessible public transport as better alternative to private vehicle owners, thus lowering the number of road users,” he added.
Among the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) big ticket infrastructure projects include the MRT-7, LRT-1 Cavite Extension, Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, improvement of the EDSA Busway, and EDSA Greenways Project.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) board chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday streamlined the list of infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs)
Under the “Build-Better-More” program, the government listed a total 185 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) amounting to P9.14 trillion.