With the holiday season in full swing, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has designated 12 “Christmas lanes” to ease traffic in areas near shopping malls.
To be launched today (Wednesday) in a ceremony to be held at the Edsa-West Avenue intersection in Quezon City, the 12 alternate routes are in addition to the 45 Christmas lanes opened by the MMDA last year in a bid to decongest vehicular flow on Edsa.
According to MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino, the newest Christmas lanes are alternative routes leading to and from shopping centers in Makati, Pasay, Quezon City, San Juan, Manila and Marikina “where traffic volume is usually heavy during the month of December,” Tolentino said.
In an advisory released yesterday, the MMDA listed the 12 new Christmas lanes to aid shoppers going from one mall to another:
From Greenhills in San Juan to Rockwell in Makati: Take Wilson Street, turn left at P. Guevarra or Luna Mencias, right at Araullo, left at Balagtas, right at Shaw Boulevard, left at Acacia Lane, left at Fabella Road, right at M. Martinez Avenue or Maysilo, right at Sgt. Bumatay, then take Pantaleon Bridge to Rockwell.
From SM North Edsa in Quezon City to Greenhills: take West Avenue, turn left at Examiner, right at Quezon Avenue, take then U-turn slot near Magbanua, take Scout Borromeo, turn right at Tomas Morato Avenue, right at E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, left at Gilmore Avenue, Granada or Ortigas Avenue, then go straight to Greenhills.
From SM San Lazaro in Manila to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay: take A.H. Lacson, Nagtahan or Pres. Quirino Avenue, turn left at M. Adriatico Avenue or Vito Cruz, go straight to Park Avenue, make a right to Gil Puyat Avenue, left to Macapagal Boulevard and go straight to MoA.
From SM North Edsa to Araneta Center, also in Quezon City: Along North Avenue, turn right to Elliptical Road, right at Kalayaan, K-J Street or 15th Street, right at Aurora Boulevard, then go straight to Araneta Center.
From Dapitan Market in Manila, take Dapitan Street, turn right at A.H. Lacson, left at Tayuman, left to Dagupan, then straight to Divisoria, also in Manila.
From Baclaran in Pasay to Divisoria: Take Roxas Boulevard or Anda Circle, turn right to A. Soriano Jr. or Muralla, left to Magallanes Drive, left at Q. Paredes or Reina Regente to Divisoria Mall.
From SM Sta. Mesa in Manila to SM North Edsa in Quezon City: Along Araneta Avenue, turn right to Del Monte, left at Roosevelt, right at Baler, left at Miller Avenue, right at Calumpit, left at Bansalangin, right at Edsa to SM North Edsa.
From SM Manila to Greenhills: Take San Marcelino, turn left at UN Avenue, right at President Quirino, right at Figueroa, left at Pedro Gil or New Panaderos, right at Shaw Boulevard., left at A. Mabini, right at Wilson to Ortigas and Greenhills.
From Trinoma in Quezon City to SM Marikina: Along North Avenue in Quezon Memorial Cirle, turn right at Kalayaan Avenue, left at V. Luna, right at Anonas, left at Chico or Xavierville Avenue, right at Katipunan, take the U-turn at Aurora Boulevard, then take Marcos Highway to SM Marikina.
From Eastwood in Quezon City to Ortigas Center: Take E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, make a right to Green Meadows, right at Ortigas Avenue, left at Lanuza, right to Doña J. Vargas to Ortigas Center.
From Ortigas Center to Makati Business District: Take ADB Avenue, San Miguel Avenue, left at Shaw Boulevard., right at Pioneer, right at Reliance, left at Sheridan, right at Pioneer, pass Boni tunnel to Maysilo, right at San Francisco, left at Coronado, then take the Mandaluyong bridge to the Makati Business District.
From Harrison in Pasay to Rockwell in Makati: Take P. Ocampo, turn right at Arellano Avenue, left at Zobel Roxas, right at Kamagong, left at Chino Roces Avenue, right at Kalayaan Avenue then go straight to Rockwell.
“We’re hoping that these Christmas lanes will help motorists plan their trips well and avoid traffic congestion,” Tolentino said.