The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a fresh loan to the Philippines to help build elevated pathways in four areas along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly known as EDSA.

In a statement, the Manila-based multilateral institution, said it has approved a $123 million loan to help the government construct five kilometer covered walkways called the EDSA Greenways.

“The five-meter-wide structures, equipped with elevators and monitoring systems, will be easily accessible for pedestrians, including the elderly, pregnant women, young children, and people with disabilities,” ADB said.

Once the project is completed, it will be linked to mass transit stations along EDSA, namely the Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe, and Taft stations.

Hiroaki Yamaguchi, ADB’s Southeast Asia Transport and Communications director, said the project is an integral part of the government’s transport strategy to make Metro Manila a better place to live, work, and visit.

“This project is an important part of our contribution to helping make that vision a reality for Filipinos,” Yamaguchi said.

The EDSA Greenways project is part of the government’s infrastructure program aimed at boosting public spending on infrastructure to attract investments, provide improved connectivity, and spur economic growth.

“This project will encourage more Filipinos to switch from private vehicles to public transport, which is being strengthened with the North–South Commuter railway, the Metro Manila subway, and the upgraded Light Rail/Metro Rail Transit systems,” Shuji Kimura, ADB senior transport specialist said.

“The project, to be built with cutting-edge technology for cantilever overhead walkways, will provide safe, inclusive, and equitable access for commuters while lowering CO2 emissions,” he added.

Metro Manila is considered the most congested city in Asia in terms of population, land area, and length of road networks, based on ADB’s report.

Annual average daily traffic on EDSA reached 405,882 vehicles last year, up about six percent from 383,828 in the previous year, data from the Metro Manila Development Authority showed.

The project is expected to create much-needed jobs during the construction period, with P3 billion to be spent on local raw materials. The civil works contracts for the project are expected to be awarded during the first half of 2021.