By Aerol John Pateña/PNA
MANILA — A portion of North Avenue going to Quezon City Memorial Circle will be closed to traffic starting 6 a.m. of Tuesday to ease congestion in the area amid the ongoing construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) official announced Monday.
“We want to address the chokepoint area on the Elliptical Road with this road closure,” MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia told a press briefing.
The MMDA also advised motorists coming from North Avenue to turn right at Agham Road, turn left at Quezon Avenue to Quezon Memorial Circle to destination.
The MMDA will also continue with its dry run, which started last January 16, of the yellow lane policy along Elliptical Road.
Under the new policy, vehicles on the yellow lanes marked by solid lines are prohibited from swerving, changing lanes or overtaking. Motorists must stay on their lanes as they drive along Elliptical Road.
“Starting Monday, we will start apprehending violators through the no contact apprehension policy,” Garcia said.
The MMDA will be monitoring violations of the yellow lane policy through its closed-circuit television cameras.
The agency is eyeing to impose PHP1,000 fine against violators in the event it decides to fully implement the policy.
The yellow lane policy was made by the MMDA as vehicles along Elliptical Road are noted to switch lanes. Vehicles from the inner lanes would often snake out of their lanes, causing chokepoints to form.
A total of 8,728 vehicles traverse the Elliptical Road-Quezon Memorial Circle while 1,419 vehicles traverse from North Avenue to Quezon Memorial Circle during the morning rush hour based on data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center.
Last January 8, the MMDA imposed a PHP25,000 fine against MRT-7 private contractor EEI Corporation for its road works which occupied two lanes along Elliptical Road and North Avenue causing traffic gridlock in the area.
The MRT-7 is a 22.8-km. railway line that will consist of 14 stations, traversing from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
