Manila’s motorists were face-palming over the weekend after a bridge connecting two of the metro’s cities was closed on Sunday for a planned construction project. But it looks like people’s negative reactions worked their way to the government as the bridge was reopened last night.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said earlier today that the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge (aka the Rockwell bridge) has reopened to motorists, CNN Philippines reported.
Many were against the planned construction that could last up to 2.5 years because many depend on the bridge that allows them to skip the usually congested highway EDSA.
People think that to close the bridge during the hectic Christmas season was a terrible idea. (It is!)
ABS-CBN News reported that the DPWH has postponed the bridges’ planned demolition and expansion to January next year.
DPWH Project Director Virgilio Castillo said in a statement dated yesterday that the public, as well as business groups, said that the closure could also cause economic losses during the holiday season.
How this did not occur to them earlier is beyond us.
The bridge is right next to the Rockwell Center, where the Power Plant mall is located. Makati and Mandaluyong, the two cities the bridge connects, are also popular shopping destinations with numerous malls. The MMDA estimated that around 100,000 vehicles would be affected by the closure, Rappler reported.
The planned construction will bulldoze the existing 9-year-old bridge and build a wider one that will have four lanes instead of the current two. The project is part of a PHP5.27billion (US$97million) Chinese grant with China Road and Bridge Corporation, ABS-CBN News reported.
Top Gear Philippines reported that the Makati Public Safety Assistance (MAPSA) removed the barriers of the bridge yesterday night at 9:30pm upon the DPWH’s orders but without the knowledge of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the agency in charge of the metro’s traffic.
This decision was most likely brought by all the negative comments netizens posted about the closure.
Twitter user @marianalopa said that they shouldn’t even fix something that isn’t broken: “This is such a hassle [to motorists] with the closure of the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge. Why fix something that ain’t broken? Oh. Right. Our president is an idiot.”
Sobrang hassle ng pag sara ng Estrella-Pantaleon bridge. Why fix something that aint broken? Oh. Right. Our President is an idiot. Haha. pic.twitter.com/rCpxEem9f5
— Mariana (@marianalopa) September 23, 2018
@peachybrets added that it shouldn’t even be closed without a proper alternate route.
“Everyone knew that the #Rockwellbridge shouldn’t be closed w/o a viable alt[ernate] route. [The] @DPWHph is the only one that doesn’t know or doesn’t care.”
Everyone knew that the #Rockwellbridge shouldn’t be closed w/o a viable alt route. @DPWHph lang ang walang alam or walang pakialam 😑#stupidasstupidcanbe “Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge reopened due to horrendous traffic brought about by closure. Repairs moved to January 2019.”
— A Balancing Bipolar (@peachybrets) September 25, 2018
@ikingskie said in Filipino that the government shouldn’t plan constructions projects at the same time.
“First rehabilitate the Guadalupe Bridge before you fix the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge! Don’t do everything at once!”
UNAHIN NYO MUNA IREHABILITATE ANG GUADALUPE BRIDGE BAGO NYO GAWIN ANG ESTRELLA-PANTALEON BRIDGE!
HINDI YUNG PAGSASABAYIN NYO! 😬 https://t.co/nAA6Ao3X8X
— ikingskie™ (@ikingskie) September 25, 2018
“They probably re-opened when they realized that it was probably not a good idea to close the bridge before Christmas,” @hearsay73 wrote.
They probably re-opened when they realized that it was probably not a good idea to close the bridge before Christmas….
— Pauper Litigator (@hearsay73) September 25, 2018
True that.
Earlier this month, the MMDA announced that several bridges and flyovers will undergo constructions and repairs. Making things worse is the fact that these construction projects are happening during the Christmas season, which in the Philippines traditionally starts in September and ends in January.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency released data earlier this year which stated that the Philippines loses PHP3.5 billion (US$64.9 million) a day due to the metro’s traffic, illustrating the struggle many Filipinos experience every day. In Metro Manila, it is not uncommon to travel 8.5 kilometers for two hours.
