QC expects to open GORA Lane in January 2021 — Belmonte

MANILA, Philippines—Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte says the local government expects the construction of a 5.39-kilometer-long “green” walking corridor to be finished by January 2021.

Belmonte said the environment-focused walking corridor named the Green Open Reclaimed Access (GORA) Lane is expected to boost pedestrian mobility in the city.

“The project will greatly benefit the general public especially now that we have limited transportation and limited mobility due to the pandemic,” said Belmonte in a statement Saturday.

“Part of our 14-point agenda is to promote sustainable development, interconnectivity, and reduce air pollution. We stand firm on our commitment to make our place a walkable and bikeable city.”

The GORA Lane, which is expected to be 70 percent complete this month, will pass through Doña Hemady Avenue, Scout Tobias Street, and Mother Ignacia Avenue, and will provide residents with access to three major roads — Aurora Blvd., Quezon Avenue, and Edsa.

The walking corridor will also be connecting LRT-Gilmore, MRT-GMA Kamuning, and MRT-Quezon Avenue stations thus linking commercial centers such as Gilmore, Robinson Magnolia, Tomas Morato, and the Timog area.

To accentuate the space, the construction project will include wider sidewalks, better lighting, wayfinding signages, a planting strip, and public art installations.

Landscape Architect Irene Morales, Special Operations Officer II of Parks Development and Administration Department, said the Department of Budget and Management solicited the project in 2018 through a budget circular on the “Green, Green, Green” program which is a parallel initiative to the national government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

/MUF