MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino
The repair of the Magallanes Interchange, which is set to start tonight, should be finished by mid-November, after public works officials agreed to compress their projected timetable from eight months to just five and a half.
This was according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which has been advising motorists to brace themselves for heavy traffic in southern Metro Manila in view of the rehabilitation works on the 39-year-old structure.
A portion of the interchange will be closed to traffic for six hours daily from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting May 30. The work will include the replacement of railings and steel expansion joints, asphalt-laying and patch-up of cracks.
The MMDA was scheduled to conduct a “dry-run” late last night and close some lanes to study how the daily repairs would impact on traffic during those hours.
Following a meeting with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said they agreed to complete the project in five and a half months—or 165 calendar days—instead of the initially projected eight months.
Tolentino said he had also asked DPWH engineers to deploy their own traffic personnel to assist the motorists affected by the lane closures. They were also required to put up signs stating the expected completion date to keep the public informed. Niña P. Calleja