Barriers installed on Edsa to discourage swerving

To discourage swerving which may lead to accidents and result in heavy traffic, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced Sunday that it would put up concrete barriers in two areas on the northbound and southbound lanes of Edsa beginning Monday.

During the agency’s Sunday radio program, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino partially blamed the snail-paced traffic flow last week on accidents.

“From Thursday until Friday, we noted around 40 accidents on Metro streets,” he said.

Before the weekend, traffic was reportedly at a standstill for around eight hours, especially on roads leading to airports, causing some passengers to miss their flights.

Starting Monday, concrete barriers will be placed in what Tolentino described as “traffic conflict areas,” specifically Edsa northbound in Guadalupe, Makati City and Edsa southbound after Connecticut in San Juan City.

MMDA Traffic Discipline Office chair Cris Saruca explained that these were two areas on Edsa where minor accidents were prone to occur due to vehicles swerving to get to the outermost lanes.

According to Saruca, the concrete barriers on the northbound lane of Edsa in Guadalupe would be placed near the jeepney loading bay in front of the Guadalupe Commercial Complex up to a few meters past the intersection of  JP Rizal Street. This would be to prevent jeeps and buses from swerving to get to the outermost lane.

On the other hand, southbound vehicles coming from service roads which want to get on the Ortigas flyover toward Ortigas Avenue should use Connecticut Street-Edsa.

After Connecticut Street, barriers will also be placed to prevent vehicles from swerving to get on the Ortigas flyover or from merging with other southbound vehicles, Saruca said.

He added that to warn motorists, plastic cones would be placed ahead of the concrete barriers.

Tolentino added that the move would ensure the safety of motorists and reduce accidents on the busy thoroughfare.

During the launch of the MMDA’s accident alert application in October last year, Tolentino said that motorists sometimes failed to see that accidents, even minor ones, could cause heavy traffic.

“Ordinary motorists do not realize that accidents will cause [heavy] traffic [and vice versa] and both will cause delays,” he added.

Areas covered by the mobile app include Edsa, C-5, South Luzon Expressway, Roxas Boulevard, Quezon Avenue, España Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue and Marcos Highway.–Maricar B. Brizuela