MMDA opens Estrella flyover to traffic

MANILA, Philippines - Expecting heavy traffic flow going to Buendia Avenue in Makati during the Christmas rush, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday opened the EDSA-Estrella Avenue Flyover to two-way traffic.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the Estrella flyover is now open to two-way traffic from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. from Monday to Friday. This new traffic scheme is implemented in cooperation with Rockwell Land Corp., which runs the Rockwell Center, he said.

“We started the dry run this (Friday) morning and hopefully we can at least reduce the daily chokepoint at the southbound lane of EDSA, especially on the portion approaching the Buendia U-turn slot,” Tolentino said.

Completed in 1998, the two-lane, single-direction Estrella flyover provides direct access to the Rockwell Center for EDSA northbound vehicles, thus enabling motorists coming from the Global City in Taguig and the Central Business District of Makati to directly proceed to the Rockwell Center by way of EDSA.

Tolentino said 25 percent of vehicular volume at EDSA-Kalayaan to Buendia during rush hours is from the right-turning traffic in Estrella Street. Part of the congestion is attributed to the opening this year of the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge that connects Mandaluyong to Rockwell in Makati.

“Right turning traffic from Estrella to EDSA creates daily chokepoint at EDSA southbound, especially from those swerving from Estrella to take the innermost 5th lane towards the Buendia U-turn slot,” Tolentino explained.

Tolentino said the two-way scheme is expected to improve traffic flow in Estrella and EDSA southbound, particularly at the southbound yellow lane for buses.

The MMDA said traffic flow usually slows down in the area as vehicles at the EDSA southbound lane reduce speed to avoid vehicles coming from Estrella.

With the two-way scheme, the MMDA said stop-and-go traffic at the corner of EDSA and Estrella was removed as EDSA-bound vehicles coming from Estrella get to use the flyover towards Kalayaan and Buendia.  - Mike Frialde