MMDA opens EDSA-Estrella flyover to two-way traffic

MANILA, Philippines - Expecting heavy traffic flow going to Gil Puyat Avenue (formerly known as Buendia Avenue) in Makati during the Christmas rush, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) opened the EDSA-Estrella street flyover to two-way traffic yesterday.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the Estrella flyover is 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 (yesterday) 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, 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 motorists turning right on 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.

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.