Road works to be conducted at night to ease traffic congestion

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have agreed that road works in Metro Manila should be conducted at night to lessen traffic. (Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA—The Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have agreed that road works in Metro Manila should be conducted at night to lessen traffic.

The MMDA, DOTr, and DPWH officials directed contractors that road repairs and rehabilitations on major thoroughfares must be done from 10p.m. to 5a.m. the next day.

Contractors will be required to use quick dry cement on the road works to be able to meet the one day curing period.

These initiatives were outlined in a meeting held Wednesday afternoon by the DOTr, DPWH and the MMDA to strengthen inter-agency coordination on the conduct of road diggings, excavations and other similar works in Metro Manila.

The meeting was led by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar to settle issues arising from road repairs especially on the major thoroughfares of the metropolis.

The MMDA will now be issuing excavation permits to DPWH district or regional officers instead of the contractors to expedite the completion of road repairs.

The DPWH will be in charge of the traffic management plan of the road projects which will be reviewed by the MMDA.

“With the new guidelines in the issuance of permits of excavation, we hope to address the additional traffic caused by on-going and unfinished road diggings,” MMDA General Manager Tim Orbos said.

Orbos also acknowledged Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade for initiating the holding of the meeting among the concerned government agencies to thresh out various issues and concerns.

The government agencies will also be requiring at least one contractor to attend the monthly meeting, scheduled every second Tuesday of the month, between MMDA, DPWH, and DOTr, starting April.

Furthermore, erring contractors shall be determined during such meetings for the imposition of appropriate sanctions.

MMDA has earlier suspended road reblocking projects until further notice and required DPWH contractors to submit the schedule of completion of their projects, warning that charges will be filed against them if they fail to comply.

Heavy traffic build-up was reported along EDSA southbound late last week due to the unfinished drainage improvement project of the DPWH along Cabrera Street in Pasay City.