Portions of Edsa closed to traffic for People Power I celebration
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be closing parts of Edsa today until tomorrow to give way to activities marking the 27th anniversary of the first People Power Revolution.
In a statement, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino warned motorists to avoid the affected areas and switch to alternate routes instead.
At the same time, he reminded the public that the number coding scheme would be enforced on Monday.
“February 25 is declared as a special holiday only for all schools nationwide. Therefore, the number coding is not lifted,” the MMDA chair announced.
Starting at 2 a.m. today, both lanes of White Plains Drive will be closed to vehicles. At 5 a.m., the northbound lane on Edsa from the corner of Ortigas Avenue to Santolan will also be off limits to all types of vehicles.
The northbound lane of the Edsa-Ortigas flyover will remain open but only for motorists turning left to Ortigas-Greenhills.
The northbound lane of the Edsa service road, from Guadix road to Edsa Shrine, will also be open.
Motorists may turn right at Julia Vargas or use the Edsa-Ortigas flyover to pass through Ortigas-Greenhills to get to their destination.
The whole stretch of Edsa will be opened to traffic at 7 a.m. followed by White Plains Drive an hour after.
However, the yellow lanes on the northbound side of Edsa, from the People Power Monument until Gate 3 of Camp Aguinaldo, will be closed for rehearsals starting at 9 p.m. today.
Shortly after midnight, the inner lanes on the northbound side of the thoroughfare, from Corinthian Gardens to Gate 3 of Camp Aguinaldo, will be partially closed.
This is to give way to the construction of a stage by the Department of Public Works and Highways for the people power celebration.
Only one lane on both sides of White Plains Drive will be passable until 1 a.m. The street will then be closed, from Temple Drive to Edsa, starting at 2 a.m.
At 5 a.m., the northbound side of Edsa from Ortigas flyover to Santolan will be totally closed, along with the northbound of the Edsa service road from Guadix Drive to the Edsa Shrine.
With the event proper scheduled at 7 a.m., the MMDA said the whole stretch of Edsa may be reopened to traffic by 11 a.m. Jaymee T. Gamil
