by Aerol John Pateña/ PNA
MANILA — Starting February 23, the Tandang Sora Flyover on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City will be closed to traffic to give way for the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) construction.
In its traffic advisory, the MRT-7 Project Management Task Force said both the westbound and eastbound lanes of the flyover will no longer be passable effective 11 p.m. of February 23 to pave the way for the construction of the MRT-7 Tandang Sora Station.
“Vehicles from Tandang Sora Avenue going to Katipunan Avenue and vice versa will not be allowed to cross the intersection. This will be in effect until the completion of the Tandang Sora Station which is expected to last until the fourth quarter of 2020,” the Task Force’s advisory said.
Motorists going to Katipunan from Tandang Sora must turn right at Commonwealth Avenue and take a U-turn going east, in front of Microtel.
Vehicles going to Tandang Sora from Katipunan are advised to turn right at Luzon Avenue and take a U-turn going west, in front of Home Depot.
The Task Force said traffic congestion along the stretch of the MRT-7 project will be experienced during rush hours for the duration of the construction.
It added that it will coordinate with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and concerned local government agencies to monitor the traffic situation along the affected areas and implement adjustments to ease traffic congestion.
Earlier, the MMDA said it is looking at building an elevated U-turn slot within the next three months to ease traffic congestion in areas, where the MRT-7 is being constructed.
The agency will deploy 154 personnel while the Quezon City government will also assign 100 flagmen along Commonwealth Avenue to guide motorists in the area.
The MMDA estimates that the closure of the flyover will affect more than 100,000 motorists traveling along Commonwealth Avenue and 2,000-3,000 motorists using the Tandang Sora intersection daily.
The MRT-7 is envisioned to be a 22.8-km railway line that will consist of 14 stations, traversing North Avenue in Quezon City to the City of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
