Manila solon proposes rail lines along C-5, under Skyway

Manila Representative Joel Chua on Monday proposed the construction of a rail line along C-5 Road and under the Metro Manila Skyway, among others, to decongest Metro Manila roads.

Chua issued the statement a week after a study showed that Metro Manila has the slowest travel time in 55 countries and days after Chris Martin, frontman of British band Coldplay, criticized Manila's traffic during a concert.

"EDSA is too congested, so to give commuters options other than EDSA, there should be another light rail line on C-5 and under the Skyway," said Chua, vice chair of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.

"Having these two light rail lines will decongest EDSA and make the commute easier for residents near C-5 and Skyway."

C-5 runs from Quezon City to Taguig, while the Metro  Manila Skyway runs from Balintawak to South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

"There should also be more bridges over Pasig River for decongestion of major roads parallel to EDSA. I am willing to support, through future years' national budgets, the conduct of feasibility studies for these new light rail lines," Chua said.

The lawmaker also said the Guadalupe Bridge along EDSA-Makati should have a second level, as he called out the supposed delays on retrofitting of the said bridge which he said was already funded by a loan from the Japanese government. 

"To decongest the chokepoint that is at the Guadalupe Bridge area, I believe the bridge should have a second level. Many other major bridges around the world have second levels," Chua said.

He added that the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Works and Highways should update Congress "soon" on the status of the retrofitting of Guadalupe Bridge. —Llanesca T. Panti/KBK, GMA Integrated News