MMDA: No roadwork during Christmas season

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assured the public yesterday that it will not permit roadwork and diggings during the Christmas season.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the agency also imposed the same moratorium on roadwork during the holidays last year. He said the moratorium on street diggings would start in the first week of December.

He said the MMDA will ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to instruct their contractors to install steel plates and cover the diggings and allow vehicular traffic to pass through for the meantime.

Tolentino added that many of the alternate routes identified by the MMDA as “Christmas lanes” cannot be used by vehicular traffic during the holiday period because of street diggings. According to Tolentino, there are at least 107 street diggings and road repairs across Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Tolentino has advised shoppers to do their Christmas shopping early and avoid the holiday rush and the traffic jams, especially around large shopping malls.

He also suggested that shoppers visit malls nearest their residences in order to avoid being trapped in traffic jams.

Tolentino said the MMDA will release its traffic management plan for this year’s Christmas season before the end of this month.