C5 road repairs to begin before rainy season, DPWH says

Road repairs along C5 will begin before the rainy season this year, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon.

"Yan po ang magandang announcement natin, direktiba na din ng Pangulo, simulan na din ang paggawa ng C-5 this year. Ngayon po, bago mag tag-ulan, sisimulan na rin natin ang C5," Dizon said in an interview on Unang Balita on Thursday. 

(That's our announcement; the President has issued a directive to start repairing C5 this year. Before the rainy season, we will also start working on C5.)

Dizon says the road works along C5 also aim to ease traffic congestion in the area.  

"Yung C5 po alam natin, mas grabe pa sa EDSA yan. Diyan dumadaan mga truck natin, kaya madami diyan sira-sira na talaga. 'Yan din ang malaking cause ng traffic dahil nga lubak-lubak na, sira-sira na talagang bumabagal na yung mga sasakyan," explained Dizon. 

(We know that C5 is worse than EDSA. Our trucks pass through there, so many of the roads are really damaged. That's also a huge factor in causing traffic because it's so potholed and it is slowing down vehicles.)

Aside from the planned work along C5, repairs are also ongoing along EDSA, which Dizon said will last up to 8 months. 

"Sa loob po ng 8 months, buong kahaban ng EDSA, mula Roxas Boulevard hanggang Monumento ay magagawa. Pero yung 8 months na po eto, hindi kasama diyan ang tag-ulan. Kasi alam naman po ninyo, hindi tayo puwedeng magtrabaho pag bumabagyo at umuulan. Kaya 'ho biniyak natin sa mga phasing," said the DPWH Secretary. 

(Within 8 months, the entire stretch of EDSA, from Roxas Boulevard to Monumento, will be completed. But these 8 months do not include the rainy season, because, as you know, we cannot work when there is rain. That's why we divided it into phases.)

Dizon said that Phase 1 of the repairs will be from Roxas Boulevard to Orense in Makati.

"Ang kagandagan naman po, medyo advance tayo ng onti, so hoepfully bago mag tagulan this yun, lagpas pa ng Orense, ma-extend pa natin ng lampas pa ng Orense, baka kaya hanggang Boni Avenue hanggang Shaw Boulevard," Dizon said.

(What's good about it is we're a little bit advanced. So hopefully before the rainy season, we will be able to work beyond Orense, maybe all the way to Boni Avenue and Shaw Boulevard.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News