Bypass

I still have memories of EDSA when it was just one long road. I can still see pictures in my head of the intersections at Kamias, Aurora, P. Tuazon all the way to Buendia and Ayala. That Aurora intersection was memorable because we had an accident there. We were turning left to EDSA from Aurora when a car suddenly appeared on our left side, hitting us. That was scary. There wasn't much traffic then, so an accident like that was caused by plain stupidity.

As more cars hit the road, traffic began to get bad. Bad to the point that the first underpasses on EDSA were constructed. That was something to behold at the time. Imagine digging deeper to create roads. Underpasses at Aurora and Shaw were the first to be built. And they worked. But then, progress sets in and the number of vehicles increased with it. This is when the idea of flyovers came in. Instead of digging down, we were building up. Again, they worked. But progress has its way of causing change. And a major one is coming up.

There is an ambitious plan to link the two major expressways of Luzon, the SLEX and NLEX. If it comes to fruition, travel time between Buendia in Makati to Balintawak in Quezon City will only take fifteen minutes, instead of the hour or so long it takes when one traverses EDSA, especially during the hellish hours. EDSA will be completely bypassed; much like a coronary bypass gives life to a person. This Skyway 3 will give life back to the city. Tempers will hopefully cool down, travel time on EDSA will decrease, businesses will thrive. Everything good, in other words.

But all that will come at a price. Sacrifice is necessary, as is with all things that do good. We sacrificed when the underpasses and flyovers were being built, we will have to endure years of hell before we enjoy the roads once again. The target date of completion is 2017, but according to officials, it may be sooner if the all-too-familiar problems of right-of-way passage are addressed and resolved soon. Let's hope so. I can understand the apprehension of those who will be directly affected by the construction of such an expressway, right in the heart of the metropolis.

I'm actually excited to see this project completed. But I can also imagine what we will have to endure once again. I can only hope that everything runs smoothly. No anomalies, no corruption, no overpricing, no under the table negotiations, though that might be asking too much. I only wish this project was started at the beginning of this administration, and not at the end.