True to its word, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will open to the motoring public on Saturday, June 12 the new Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, which links the business and industrial hubs of the cities of Pasig, Makati, and Taguig.
ALL SET -- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar leads the final inspection of the Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, now dubbed as Kalayaan Bridge, on Friday, June 11, 2021 before its opening on Independence Day, June 12, 2021. (Ali Vicoy / MANILABULLETIN)
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said during the final inspection Friday, June 11, that the Independence Day opening of the structure—also known as “Kalayaan Bridge” (Freedom Bridge)—was all set.
"Ginagawa namin ngayon yung final inspection so inaayos lang yung finishing touches pero nakikita n'yo naman na halos tapos na, tapos na yung bridge. At siyempre dahil Independence Day bukas naglagay din kami ng Philippine flags sa mga poste (We are conducting the final inspection now, so we are just completing the finishing touches and you can see that it's done, the bridge is already completed. And because the opening tomorrow marks the Independence Day, we also installed Philippine flag on the posts)," Villar said.
(Photo by Ali Vicoy)
"Late afternoon bukas pwede nang magamit itong bridge (Late afternoon tomorrow, the bridge will finally be open to traffic)," he added.
The 440-meter, four-lane bridge is built across the Pasig River, connecting Lawton Avenue in Makati City and Sta. Monica Street in Pasig City.
"Ito po ay malaking bagay sa traffic natin sa Metro Manila. Base po sa aming computation, 'pag natapos po ito, 20 percent ang mababawas sa EDSA lalo na sa Guadalupe section at sa C-5 naman ay 10 percent ang mababawas (This is a huge help in resolving our traffic woes in Metro Manila. Based on our computation, once completed, 20 percent of traffic will be reduced from EDSA, especially along Guadalupe section and around 10 percent of traffic will also be taken away from C-5)," the secretary said.
Kalayaan Bridge is dubbed as a major component of the 1.367-kilometer Bonifacio Global City (BGC)-Ortigas Center Link Road Project.
It is also part of the Metro Manila Logistics Network that aims to reduce to 12 minutes the one-hour-long drive between the BGC and Ortigas business districts.
Aside from the construction of the bridge, the P1.79-billion BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project also involves the rehabilitation and widening of the 476.58-meter stretch from Brixton (corner Reliance Street) to Fairlane Street and the 232.34-meter BGC 8th Avenue; construction of 125-meter upward and downward ramps at Kalayaan Avenue Intersection; and construction of Lawton Avenue – Global City Viaduct.