MMDA to open u-turn slot near QC Academy amid traffic woes

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to open by Friday the u-turn slot in front of the Quezon City Academy to help ease the traffic congestion on EDSA after the closure of many U-turn slots as part of the Busway Project.

MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia made the disclosure during a hearing of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development on Tuesday.

According to him, the decision to open a U-turn slot in front of the Quezon City Academy was made in coordination with the city government, to be manned by personnel from the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS).

Garcia said the opening of the QCA U-turn slot would provide a temporary solution to the traffic problem in the area pending the construction of an elevated busway between Balintawak and Quezon Avenue.

"Magbubukas tayo ng isang U-turn while waiting for the elevated busway. Ito yung based on volume count, ang pinakamalala dito sa Quezon City Academy," Garcia said.

"So bubuksan natin yan na U-turn, stop and go. Ima-man yan ng DPOS. So pinagbigyan natin kasi nakita nga natin ang sense of urgency," he added.

Apart from the U-turn slot, Garcia said the MMDA would also open a small portion of the busway near Dario Bridge in Quezon City to allow emergency vehicles to pass.

The U-turn slot near Dario Bridge was also closed as part of the EDSA busway program, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to go to the nearby Quezon City General Hospital.

"What we're going to do, we will open up maybe 10-meter portion of the busway. If it's an emergency vehicle or any marked vehicles, you can enter there and make a U-turn so you could go to the hospital," Garcia said.

The House panel hearing stemmed from the concerns of Quezon City residents who have been affected by the traffic jam caused by the closure of u-turn slots along EDSA due to the EDSA Busway Project.

Manila Representative Manuel Lopez, who chairs the panel, urged the MMDA to ensure the safety and welfare of the commuters and motorists in the implementation of the project, considering its impact on the traffic flow on major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

“This issue does not only affect the residents of Quezon City, or Caloocan, or Makati or those residents or localities that is traversed by EDSA,” he said. “This issue affects the whole of Metro Manila and in a large part the whole of the country.”

“Our goal is to have long-term and effective solutions to our traffic problems. Until we achieve this goal, our committee will continue monitoring the development of the projects to ensure that the public is given what it deserves,” he added. -NB, GMA News