3 agencies agree: Roadworks allowed only at night

Roadworks should be done only during nighttime to avoid traffic congestion, according to a set of guidelines outlined by government agencies in a recent meeting. Contractors will also be required to use quick-dry cement to be able to meet the one-day curing period from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to the agreement reached among the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). During the meeting, Public Works Undersecretary Romeo Momo asked the MMDA to issue excavation permits to the DPWH district instead of to the contractor to prevent delays and to ensure that the contractors will follow the guidelines. “With the new guidelines in the issuance of permits of excavation, we hope to address the additional traffic caused by ongoing and unfinished road diggings,” MMDA general manager Tim Orbos said in a statement on Thursday.—ERIKA SAULER