EXCAVATION works in Metro Manila were temporarily halted yesterday to ease traffic congestion and address the expected increase in vehicle volume during the holiday season, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said the suspension, which will last until December 25, covers road reblocking, pipe-laying, road upgrading, and other excavation works that may hinder or disrupt the flow of traffic.
“Exempted from the moratorium are flagship projects of the government, DPWH bridge repair and construction, flood interceptor catchment projects, and emergency leak repair, among others,” Artes said.
Artes earlier said the MMDA has requested the Department of Transportation to extend the operating hours of public transport systems, especially the EDSA Bus Carousel, LRT and MRT, to accommodate late-night commuters and mall employees.
Based on the latest data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center, 421,000 vehicles are traversing EDSA daily.
EDSA is Metro Manila’s prime thoroughfare, running from Caloocan City in the north to Paranaque in the south.
Aside from the moratorium on excavation works, mall hours during the holiday season were also adjusted starting yesterday.
Artes said operators agreed to open shopping malls at 11 a.m., instead of the usual 10 a.m., and extend evening operations until December 25.
There are 131 shopping malls in Metro Manila, 29 of them on EDSA.
Mall-wide sales are not allowed but sales at certain stores or outlets inside the mall may be allowed even on weekdays provided that no announcement, advertisement, or tarpaulin of the same is posted.
Artes said deliveries of shopping mall operators shall only be allowed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day, except for perishable goods such as food and ice.
Mall operators are also required to submit their traffic management plan to the MMDA for their respective mall sales and other promotional events two weeks before the scheduled dates of such events.
