Brace for heavier traffic particularly in the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) starts the repair of Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge on Sunday, Sept. 23.

At 8 a.m. on Sunday, the two-lane bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia announced in a statement on Thursday.

The 9-year-old bridge is set to be demolished and replaced with a four-lane span, with construction expected to take seven months, Garcia said. Last week, DPWH Director Virgilio Castillo said the bridge may have to be closed for 30 months.

Garcia warned that the project would further worsen traffic congestion on Edsa as thousands of vehicles going in and out of Makati and Mandaluyong would be diverted to Guadalupe Bridge.

“An average of 100,000 vehicles traverse the bridge on a daily basis. We are talking about 5,000 vehicles per hour here,” he said. The bridge connects Estrella Street in Makati City and Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong City.

Other DPWH projects affecting traffic in Metro Manila are the repair works on Old Sta. Mesa Bridge, Nagtahan Bridge, Mabini Bridge, Concordia Bridge, Otis Bridge, and Sevilla Bridge