Brace for heavy traffic in Parañaque

WITH the construction of the C-5 Link Expressway beginning next month, the Parañaque government warned the public to expect “short-term inconvenience” when traveling on major roads in the city, particularly in the vicinity of the Moonwalk and Merville Park villages.

In a statement released on Sunday, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the first phase of the 7.6-kilometer project was given notice to proceed by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) in December.

To be built at a cost of P9 billion, it will connect C-5 in Taguig City to the Cavite expressway, cutting through Merville Subdivision in Parañaque.

Following the TRB approval, Olivarez said a groundbreaking ceremony would be held this month with construction set to begin in February.

According to City Administrator Fernando Soriano, work on the project will cause heavy traffic on major roads like Andrews Avenue, Airport Road and Sucat Road which are already congested due to the ongoing Naia Elevated Expressway.

But once the C-5 Link Expressway is completed in 2019, it will “ensure faster travel and more productive living in the city” especially among residents of Merville, BF Subdivision, Multinational Village and Moonwalk, Soriano said.

“The new expressway will likewise provide safe, fast and convenient expressway travel for its users in Cavite [province], the cities of Las Piñas, Taguig [and] Makati and nearby areas,” he added.

In preparation for the roadwork, Olivarez said they would deploy additional traffic enforcers to major arteries leading to the airport, adding that the number of enforcers and traffic plan would be finalized after the groundbreaking.

He also advised motorists passing through the affected areas to plan their trips and take alternate routes.