MMDA to close part of Estrella Service Road for 2 years

Updated (4:37 p.m.)

MANILA, Philippines — Part of the Estrella Service Road will be closed for two years to make way for the reconstruction of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Tuesday.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said the Estrella Service Road from Gumamela Street going to J.P. Rizal Street is expected to be closed to motorists on March 23 (Saturday) at 11 p.m.

“Lahat ng kalsada sa vicinity lilinisin natin yan. […] Starting Monday we are going to clear all alternate routes so hopefully maayos natin yan. Ang makikinabang dito ay mga taga-Makati rin,” Garcia said in a press briefing in the MMDA Office, Makati City.

(We will clear all roads in the vicinity. Starting Monday, we are going to clear all alternate routes; so hopefully, we can fix that. Makati City residents will benefit from this.)

PHOTO from Cathy Miranda/INQUIRER.net

Meanwhile, Garcia said Estrella Service Road going to Rockwell is still open to motorists.

The alternate routes that are set to be cleared are Camia, Progreso, and Gumamela streets, Garcia noted.

Eric Bautista, officer-in-charge of Makati Public Safety Department, said they will implement one-side parking on Camia street.

“Iki-clear mainly first yung Camia, Camia street na yan meron tayong barangay ordinance allowing one-side parking. Clearing means walang magpa-park dahil nga gagawing two-way siya to be clear for any construction,” Bautista said in an ambush interview after the press conference.

(We are going to clear Camia first. We have a barangay ordinance there allowing one-side parking. But when we say clear, it means we are not going to allow parking to clear the street for construction.)

Bautista said they would allow parking only from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. By 6:01 a.m., the vehicles must be out of the street.

The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, which connects Makati and Mandaluyong, was closed for demolition and reconstruction, on Jan. 19. /ee

READ: MMDA: Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge closure moved to Jan. 19