PSA: Portion of Roxas Blvd will be closed for 3 months
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that a portion of Roxas Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic to give way to the rehabilitation of a damaged old drainage structure across Libertad Pumping Station in Pasay City.
MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said that the immediate closure of the Roxas Boulevard-Southbound is necessary to ensure the safety of vehicles, however, they have yet to determine the date of the closure.
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Roxas Blvd/IMAGES from Wikimedia and MMDA
“Heavy vehicles and trucks traversing the major thoroughfare have contributed to the damage of the drainage culvert over time. There is a danger that the drainage structure, constructed in the 1970s, would collapse, so rehabilitation must be done immediately,” Abalos said.
Currently, at least 53,000 vehicles including trucks, are traversing the Roxas Boulevard southbound direction alone.
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Roxas Blvd/IMAGE from Wikimedia
The closure would allow the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) to construct an efficient drainage system leading to Libertad Pumping Station, preventing flooding in surrounding areas.
Last month, the MMDA ushered the DPWH South Manila District Engineering Office to inspect and turn over the initial repairs in the area. According to the team, they need to close the entire southbound for two to three months to replace the damaged Libertad Drainage Main Box Culvert.
Roxas Blvd/IMAGE from MMDA
“The DPWH said they have to rehabilitate the drainage structure and close the entire southbound but give us three days to make a careful study of the impact of the possible road closure and make recommendations on how to divert the vehicles,” he added
Meanwhile, Abalos talked with other officials from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), DPWH, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) to discuss viable solutions and on finding alternate routes for trucks and trailers which will be affected by the road closure.
The initial inspection of Roxas Blvd/IMAGE from MMDA
Aside from the exact dates of closure and the alternative routes for motorists, the agency has yet to determine if a portion of the southbound direction of Roxas Boulevard fronting HK Sun Plaza will be totally or partially closed to vehicular traffic.
“This early, we are appealing for the public’s understanding for the inconvenience the possible road closure would cause,” Abalos ended.
Source: MMDA
Written by Cedie Salido
