EDSA traffic inaasahang maiibsan sa opisyal na pagbubukas ng Skyway Stage 3

Umaasa umano ang pamahalaan na maiibsan ang matinding trapiko sa EDSA sa opisyal na pagbubukas ng Skyway Stage 3. Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

Araw-araw bumibiyahe pa-Alabang sa Muntinlupa mula Quezon City si David Mallari.

Kung dati raw ay inaabot siya ng isa't kalahating oras sa biyahe, ngayo'y 30 minuto na lang dahil sa Skyway Stage 3.

"Very convenient, especially kung manggagaling ka ng Araneta going to south sa Alabang. Wala kang mararamdaman na traffic... na-less talaga ang travel time mo," ani Mallari.

Isa si Mallari sa nasa 6,000 motoristang dumadaan sa Skyway Stage 3 kada araw mula nang mag-partial opening ito noong isang buwan.

Pero ayon sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), mas dadami pa ito kapag nabuksan na ang lahat ng 7 lane ng expressway sa Huwebes, Enero 14.

Umaasa naman umano ang pamahalaan na maiibsan ng Skyway ang matinding trapiko sa ibang kalsada sa Kamaynilaan, lalo na sa EDSA.

"Malaking effect din sa ibang roads kasi nabawasan na ang congestion sa [Metro Manila]," ani DPWH Secretary Mark Villar.

"Ito naman ang gusto, na bawasan ang EDSA ng 100,000 cars para bumalik sa original capacity," aniya.

Ayon kay Villar, naglalaro sa 60,000 hanggang 70,000 motorista ang dumadaan sa Skyway mula nang mag-partial opening ito.

Sa abiso ng pamunuan ng Skyway, isasara muna ang expressway simula gabi ng Miyerkoles hanggang madaling araw ng Biyernes.

Ito ay para bigyang daan ang full inspection at official opening ng Skyway sa Huwebes.

Sa Biyernes na magagamit ng publiko ang kabuuan ng 18 kilometrong Skyway, na nagdudugtong sa North Luzon Expressway at South Luzon Expressway.

Pitong ramps ang magagamit ng mga motorista: Buendia northbound on ramp at southbound off ramp, Plaza Dilao southbound on ramp, Quezon Avenue northbound at southbound on at off ramps at Balintawak northbound off ramp at southbound on ramp

Mananatili namang libre ang toll sa Skyway ngayong Enero.

"Wala pang set date kasi kailangan pang i-finalize ang toll operating permit... kapag wala pa 'yan sa [Toll Regulatory Board], 'di puwedeng maningil so libre pa rin for the near future," ani Villar. -- Ulat ni Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/13/21/edsa-traffic-inaasahang-maiibsan-sa-opisyal-na-pagbubukas-ng-skyway-stage-3

LRT-2 to reopen Santolan to Anonas run by first quarter of 2021

 The Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) is set to resume its Santolan to Anonas run by the first quarter of 2021, more than a year since a fire shut down the operation of the three stations.

“The resumption of operations of Santolan, Katipunan, and Anonas stations, which were closed after a fire damaged power rectifiers and some railway tracks, is slated this first quarter of 2021,” the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a statement.

Operations from Santolan to Anonas stations have been suspended since October 2019 after a fire damaged two rectifier substations in Katipunan and Anonas.

The resumption of the railway’s full operations was initially set in June 2020 but was delayed as community lockdowns slowed down repairs.

Apart from the expected reopening of the three existing stations, the DOTr mentioned that the two new stations under the LRT-2 East Extension Project – Emerald in Marikina City and Masinag at the Masinag Junction in Antipolo City – would also be operational by April 26.

“It’s a beautiful station, let us finish it right away so the Filipino people can enjoy this station,” Tugade told Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa during his visit to the rail line last week.

The East Extension Project intends to add four kilometers to the 13.8-kilometer LRT-2 train line which currently runs from Recto Ave. in Manila to Santolan Station in Marikina, connecting to Antipolo City.

Upon completion of this extension project, the Department said that travel time from Recto to Masinag is expected to significantly drop to about 40 minutes from the usual three hours travel through bus or jeepney.

It can also accommodate an additional 80,000 passengers daily once operational, boosting the LRT-2’s current daily ridership of 240,000 passengers., the DOTr added.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/13/lrt-2-to-reopen-santolan-to-anonas-run-by-first-quarter-of-2021/