DAVAO CITY — As activities in the week-long Kadayawan Festival starts to heat up, the city government will close 20 road intersections to pave way for the street dancing and Floral Float competitions on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Three intersections have already been closed leading to San Pedro Square for the preparation of the final staging area at the Rizal Park. Starting at 2 a.m. on Aug. 18 to 4 p.m. on Aug. 19, the 20 intersections will be closed to all vehicles.
Alternative routes for all vehicles, however, will remain open to ensure that no vehicle would be stuck in traffic when the two major events of the Kadayawan Festival take place on Aug. 18 and 19, said City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) chief Dionisio Abude.
Abude told local reporters Wednesday that traffic rules will still be strictly enforced, such as the parking and jaywalking rules.
He explained that the closure of intersections is necessary to prevent anyone from getting stuck in traffic, as the route of the Indak and Floral float parade will start from Roxas Ave. and pass through CM Recto St., Bonifacio – Pelayo St., San Pedro St. to Rizal Park.
The three staging stations will be located at the Marco Polo Hotel area, Apo View, and Rizal Park.
“We have to expand the road closure so that vehicles would not be stuck in traffic or trapped,” he added.
The CTTMO will deploy 375 traffic enforcers in all alternative intersections and highways. They will be augmented by the 125 traffic community network or Trafcon.
Abude said the city is already experiencing traffic jams in the urban center and national roads. He assured that the traffic scheme for this year’s Kadayawan was tested last year, and it worked, especially for public utility vehicles. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
