Rockwell bridge closed to motorists by Jan. 12

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, also known as “Rockwell Bridge,” will be closed to motorists starting Jan. 12, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said in an advisory earlier today.

“The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will push through with the closure of Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge on January 12, Saturday at 8:00 AM,” the MMDA said in its advisory.

“The closure is due to the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge which was initially set last September 2018,” it added. “The project aims to widen the bridge to four lanes from its present two lanes.”

The DPWH initially closed the bridge in September 2018 to start the construction project which will add two more lanes to the existing two. However, many complained about the closure because the roads were more congested than usual due to the Christmas season.

Less than two days after the closure (and many more complaints), the DPWH reopened the nine-year-old bridge and deferred construction work to January 2019.

Many motorists depend on the bridge, which connects the cities of Makati and Mandaluyong, because it allows them to skip the usually congested main highway EDSA when traveling to business districts to work and shop.

The project costs PHP5.27billion (US$97million) and is funded by a grant from China Road and Bridge Corporation, ABS-CBN News reported.

The MMDA estimated that around 100,000 vehicles would be affected by the bridge’s closure.

The MMDA also said in its advisory that the DPWH’s timeline states that the project will be completed in 2021.

Yeash. Cheers to the New Year! Here’s some more traffic to deal with.