Heavy traffic chokes major roads of Metro Manila

Hours of heavy downpour brought by a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon triggered heavy traffic in major thoroughfares in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

In a video tweet of radio DZBB reporter Allan Gatus, vehicles passing the Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City were seen braving the heavy downpour at around 9 a.m.  although the traffic flow in the area became light to moderate as of 2 p.m.

Malakas ang buhos ng ulan sa Commonwealth Ave. Eastbound @dzbb pic.twitter.com/R5WGyPaPlN

— Allan Gatus (@allangatus) August 9, 2016

Heavy rain was also experienced along Quezon Avenue, in Quezon City on Tuesday based on another tweet of Gatus. 

Sitwasyon sa Quezon Ave. QC kasunod ng pag-ulan @dzbb pic.twitter.com/WqvCnGDTGe

— Allan Gatus (@allangatus) August 7, 2016

Bumper-to-bumper traffic situation was seen at both the north-bound and south-bound lanes of EDSA-Kamuning in Quezon City based on a tweet of radio DZBB reporter Rowena Salvacion.

@wengsalvacion @dzbb ????????????????????.

— marb (@Marvinvilla1970) August 9, 2016

MRT operations

Meanwhile, both Gatus and Salvacion also tweeted that despite the temporary suspension of operation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 from Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, many commuters still opted to ride the train to avoid being caught in heavy traffic.

MRT operations were temporarily halted after a maintenance worker was injured around 7 a.m.  

Kahit na hanggang Shaw Blvd. Station lang ang byahe ng MRT, mga pasahero dagsa pa rin @dzbb pic.twitter.com/bi7TS4MTb9

— Allan Gatus (@allangatus) August 8, 2016

Long queues were seen at the EDSA-North Avenue Station and at the Quezon Avenue Station, both in Quezon City despite the provisional operation of the MRT 3.

@wengsalvacion @dzbb kasalanan po yan ng gobyerno!puro pagpatay ang inaasikaso

— Selyado (@celalmo) August 9, 2016

The full operation of the MRT 3 was restored at 7:39 a.m., with 15 trains running Department of Transportation spokesperson Cherie Mercado announced on Twitter.

MRT3 now on full operations with 15 trains running

— Cherie Mercado (@cheriemercado) August 8, 2016

As of Tuesday afternoon, several major thoroughfares are still experiencing heavy traffic based on the MMDA-Interaksyon Traffic Metrobase.

As of 2:35 p.m. the Traffic Metrobase showed heavy traffic along the stretch of C-5 Road starting from Eastwood and Greenmeadows in Quezon City, to Julia Vargas and Bagong Ilog in Pasig to Market! Market! at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. 

Commuters and motorists along the nearly 24-kilometer stretch of EDSA have also experienced heavy to moderate traffic especially along Santolan and White Plains in Quezon City to Guadalupe up to Buendia in Makati City.

The Traffic Metrobase as of 2: 35 p.m. also showed heavy traffic at both the north-bound and south-bound lanes of Welcome Rotunda, Quezon City to España in Sampaloc, Manila. — VVP, GMA News