After Magallanes, Sucat Interchange is next for rehab

 The Magallanes Interchange in Makati during its repair. File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines–With the rehabilitation of the Magallanes Interchange expected to have been completed Monday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that work could now resume on the Sucat Interchange in Parañaque City which also needs to undergo repairs. The Sucat Interchange badly needs repair and may pose a danger if its rehabilitation is not addressed, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

MMDA Traffic Engineering head Neomie Recio said during the agency’s weekly radio program that DPWH project engineer Isabelo Baleros had earlier asked for permission from the city government to go ahead with the project. However, the MMDA told the DPWH to hold off on the repairs.

“We told them to [wait for the completion of the] Magallanes Interchange repair [work] first since there are also ongoing road projects near the area like the Naia Expressway,” Recio said, noting that Sucat Interchange was being used as an alternate route by motorists in Parañaque City.

The MMDA earlier announced that the rehabilitation of the Magallanes Interchange was expected to be finished on Monday with the repaired sections in the final stage of curing.

Last week, the MMDA deferred the issuance of a clearance to the DPWH team in charge of the Sucat Interchange rehabilitation, saying that it should secure first the permission of the affected local government units and other stakeholders.

This was despite Baleros’ presentation of a detailed traffic management plan for the bridge, which he claimed needed retrofitting because of increasing vehicular volume in the area. He said that three eastbound lanes would be closed during the 45-day repair period.

The project was set to be implemented in August but had to be deferred due to the lack of a traffic management plan.

According to Recio, shutting down the interchange would result in heavy traffic and inconvenience to motorists because of other ongoing road projects in the area.

Baleros, however, assured the MMDA that they were hoping to avoid congestion with their plan to reroute 20 to 40 percent of vehicles to adjacent roads.

He explained that motorists plying the Sucat Interchange could use Doña Soledad Avenue, head for France Street, Japan Street and all the way to San Antonio Avenue to reach Bicutan. Private cars can also use the Skyway as an alternative route, he added. -With report by Maricar B. Brizuela