Metro Briefs
R-10 made wider; DPWH sees project done by April
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday opened two northbound lanes of Radial Road 10 (R-10) to traffic, between Pacheco and Zaragoza streets in Tondo, Manila. “(Motorists) now have access to an improved and widened R-10 which they may use as alternative route to Edsa via Bonifacio Drive and Roxas Boulevard in traveling from north to south and vice-versa,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement. “If you are coming from Manila, it will usually take you two hours to reach Balintawak. But through R-10 … it will only take you at least an hour,” Villar added. A major route for cargo trucks servicing the Manila ports, the 9.7-km R-10 stretches from Delpan Bridge in Tondo, traversing the old Smokey Mountain area, to the mouth of Malabon River at Bangkulasi Bridge, C-4 Road in Navotas City. It also serves as an alternative route for motorists coming from Monumento and going to the airport and South Luzon Expressway. According to the DPWH, nonstop construction will continue up to April to widen R-10 from two to six lanes in each direction. Earlier, the DPWH and the city governments of Manila and Navotas relocated about 3,000 informal settler families affected by R-10’s rehabilitation. DPWH-National Capital Region director Melvin Navarro said the project cost had reached P400 million because of road right of way issues. —Tina G. Santos
MMDA: More passengers rode Pasig ferries in 2016
The Pasig River ferry system posted a 17.5-percent increase in ridership last year compared to 2015 figures, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Based on data gathered from the 11 stations, the ferries carried 105,741 passengers in 2016, or 15,748 more than the total riders in 2015. The MMDA attributed the increase to its promotion of the alternative mode of transport to reduce road traffic. MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos said the agency targets a daily ridership of 1,000, from the current average of 400. The MMDA earlier disclosed plans to extend the ferry route to Eastwood in Quezon City and Riverbanks in Marikina City after the completion of dredging operations and the removal of a layer of adobe near Rosario Bridge, Pasig City. MMDA deputy chair Frisco San Juan Jr. also cited a proposal to open 30 more ferry stations around Laguna de Bay to reduce travel time from Taytay, Rizal, to Makati City from two hours to just 45 minutes. —Jovic Yee
