Carmageddon during 'Ber months' to be worsened by bridge repairs — MMDA

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday warned that the "carmageddon" that is common in the next four months or the 'ber' months will be worse due to repairs on several bridges.

A report by Raffy Tima in 24 Oras said that motorists will have to deal with traffic congestion expected during back to back Christmas sales and the closure of the old Sta. Mesa Bridge in Manila and the Estrella Pantaleon Bridge in Makati City by September.

The contractor for the Sta. Mesa Bridge only recently informed the MMDA that it will close the bridge to make way for the construction of the Skyway Project. The Sta. Mesa Bridge connects San Juan City and Quezon City.

MMDA Special Operations Task Force Commander Bong Nebrija said the bridge will be taken down to make way for barges, and rebuilding it will take seven months.

"Sabi nga namin, thank you for giving us a lot of time ano, to prepare for this. Gigibain nila yun so that their barges could go through. Ang problema, then they will replace it. That is  7 months (of) work," he said.

Contractors will start putting up signage for alternate routes and the MMDA will start conducting clearing operations there.

Meanwhile, the Estrella Pantaleon Bridge, which connects Mandaluyong City and Makati City, is scheduled to be repaired on September as well.

"More or less mga 100,000 vehicles ang dumadaan diyan so ibig sabihin kung di ka na makakadaan diyan, that's an alternate route for Guadalupe, so saan pupunta yan, Guadalupe," Nebrija said.

The Guadalupe Bridge will also be rehabilitated in the first quarter of 2019.

"So yung early next year na yan, dalawang lanes ng Guadalupe Bridge ang maaaring isara while it's undergoing rehabilitation, 5 lanes is already a choke point, tanggaling mo pa yung 40 percent of that," he said.

The MMDA is preparing for the impact of these projects on the flow of traffic along major thoroughfares.

Among their efforts are the reduction of provincial buses on EDSA, the driver-only car ban, calls for carpooling, and operations against illegal parking in Mabuhay lanes.

Nebrija appealed to the public for cooperation.

"Magtulungan na lang tayo dito, pasko naman natin lahat to, di pamasko na natin sa isa't isa, magbayanihan tayo. Let's try to be part of the solution not the problem," he said. — Jessica Bartolome/BAP, GMA News