MMDA urges infra contractors to put CCTV in construction site

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) urged all contractors of the infrastructures and road projects to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras around the area and connect it with the agency's traffic command center to monitor any possible congestion.

MMDA Asst. General Manager for Operations Emerson Carlos said the agency required the contractors to install CCTV in construction sites to monitor the traffic situation and for the agency to monitor their work.

"Isa yung sa nirequire ng MMDA sa ating infra project (contractors) maglagay ng CCTV sa construction area, ikakabit sa command center namin (para) malalaman (ang) galaw ng trabaho, traffic situation and makikita kung nagkakalat sila ng putik na dahilan ng aksidente at delikado sa motorista. Minsan ang mga debris napupunta sa ating drainage kapag tumigas magko-cause ng baha pagdating ng panahon ng tag-ulan… Dapat may kooperasyon tayong lahat," Carlos explained.

The construction of Skyway-3 started last Feb. 18, which is a six-lane (2x3 lanes) fully elevated expressway with a length of 14.8 kilometers. This will connect South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

The six-lane Skyway-3 will start at the end of Skyway-1 on Buendia Avenue in Makati City and runs through Osmeña Highway, Quirino Avenue, Paco and Sta. Mesa districts via the Nagtahan flyover, towards Aurora Boulevard and Araneta Avenue up to Sgt. Rivera, and will end at A. Bonifacio Avenue towards the North Luzon Expressway.

Aside from the Skyway-3, construction of Phase 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) elevated expressway also started two weeks ago.

The P26.5-billion project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017, is expected to cut down travel from Buendia to Balintawak to just 15 minutes from the existing at least two hours.

Other projects lined up for this year are LRT Line 1 Cavite extension, Integrated Transport System (Southwest Terminal), Sen. Gil Puyat-Paseo de Roxas underpass, NLEX-SLEX link connector road, España flyover, LRT Line 2 east extension project, Lawton bridge, and LRT Line 1 north extension project.

For her part, Anna Gamboa, spokesperson of Citra Central Expressway Corp. (CECC), the contractor of Skyway-3, said they are already exchanging talks with CCTV service providers to comply with the request of the agency.

"We will put up this CCTV system as soon as it is available," she said.

She also cleared out that apart from the MMDA's request to install CCTV system around the project site, the agency also urged them to put up additional cameras for the alternate routes.

However, she said that the additional CCTV cameras might be used on the later phase of the project when it goes on "full blast," since the company is evaluating the proposals of the service providers.

Meanwhile, the traffic moved from light to moderate along Osmeña Highway for the construction of the Skyway-3, said Emilio Llavor, MMDA road safety unit engineer.

He said road works will cause heavy traffic once it goes full blast in April.

Llavor said as of now, the advance works around the construction site of the Skyway-3 does not cause heavy traffic.

He said traffic congestion will be prominent around April, when the construction of the 14.8-kilometer Skyway-3 advances to A. Bonifacio Avenue towards the North Luzon Expressway.

Project proponent Citra Central Expressway Corp. (CECC) said the advanced works involve the road excavations, bored piling, pile cap and column works.

Gamboa said the erection of the 10 columns at the base of the Skyway is still ongoing.

She also said that while the uprooting of other trees in Osmeña Highway in San Andres, Manila is still in progress, some 157 initial earth-balled trees were already deposited in a nursery in Canlubang, Laguna and Batangas.

Gamboa said the other trees will be transferred along the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Plaza Dilao in Manila and the Marikina Watershed.

Aside from its four-day work and school week proposal, the MMDA earlier said it also considered the opening of subdivision roads as one of the possible solutions to ease the traffic congestion in the metropolis.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said it is reviving the Pasig River ferry in June to divide ridership among public vehicles like trains, buses and jeepneys.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) already launch a special coach service on Monday from Tutuban to Sta. Rosa to provide commuters a convenient alternative to travel.

Last week, the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) started extending its operation hours to give the public another option to beat traffic.

From the rail system's regular hours of operation from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., the MRT Line 3 began its operations at 4:30 a.m. from North Avenue station and 5 a.m. from Taft Avenue station.

Meanwhile, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), said it is finalizing options through which LRT Lines 1 and 2 can accommodate more travelers who will be affected by the various construction works in Metro Manila. (PNA)