MANILA - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) continues to close U-turn slots at EDSA despite the suspicion of motorists and drivers that it is causing traffic on the main road.
The New Barrio / General Malvar U-turn slot was last closed on Monday.
But two more U-turn slots remain open: the De Jesus and General Tinio U-turn slots. The MMDA says they will also close before the end of the year.
So motorists from north to southbound, to Monumento or to Balintawak Cloverleaf to spin.
The story of jeepney driver Richard Dantes, instead of A. Bonifacio being able to direct vehicles to Manila, they are still crowded with vehicles heading to EDSA.
This is due to the installed concrete barriers that close Camachile street.
“Often there is only one traffic because Blumentritt and Balintawak pass by. They will make a U-turn at EDSA. If it opens, there will be no traffic here because it separates,” he said.
According to the MMDA, they will talk to the management of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to reopen the road especially since the Skyway is being completed there.
This is one of the visible reasons for the MMDA’s increase in traffic on EDSA.
Vehicles from Novaliches and North Caloocan still need to turn to New Barrio and make a U-turn to EDSA before getting off A. Bonifacio - a longer route that adds to the number of EDSA travelers.
“The MMDA is writing to NLEX to open the barriers here in Camachile so that vehicles coming from Camachile can go straight to A. Bonifacio and traffic will not merge … That was closed as a traffic management plan when Skyway was being built … Now that it is over, motorists passing by can breathe, especially southbound, “said MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago.
It is said that the NLEX leadership is previewing this to their operations team.
On Monday, another U-turn slot in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan will be closed again by the MMDA to allow for a faster ride on the EDSA busway, so motorists are waiting to be spun around.
“That’s too much. Why is that happening to us? I hope they think of us who are having a hard time,” said Dantes.
–From Bianca Dava’s report, ABS-CBN News