National and local government officials headed by Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar led the opening on Saturday of the Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, now known as Kalayaan Bridge.
The bridge has been given its new name after its inauguration while the country celebrated its 123rd Independence Day.
Villar said the opening of Kalayaan Bridge connecting Lawton Avenue in Makati City and Sta. Monica Street in Pasig City to motorists is a fitting Independence Day gift of President Rodrigo Duterte to the Filipino people.
He said the general public will be relieved from traffic congestion going in and out of Makati/BGC Taguig and Pasig/Mandaluyong City with the opening of the infrastructure project.
“With the opening of this bridge, DPWH is a few steps closer to completing the entire BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project that will reduce travel time between Bonifacio Global City and Pasig City/Mandaluyong City to only 12 minutes,” Villar said in a statement.
The DPWH chief said extensive coordination, collaboration and adapting to the new normal helped the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) team overcome the challenges in the execution of the project through the pandemic.
Undersecretary Emil Sadain, in charge of DPWH UPMO Operations said the 1.367-kilometer BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project involves the construction of Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, rehabilitation and widening of 362-meter Brixton (corner Reliance Street) to Fairlane Street.
Also, the construction of the 565-meter Lawton Avenue – Global City Viaduct which will traverse Lawton Avenue to the entrance of BGC is part of a bigger Edsa Decongestion Program.
The viaduct structure traversing Lawton Avenue up to the entrance of BGC is targeted for completion by the last quarter of 2021.
When fully completed, the bridge and road project will be able to accommodate as much as 20 percent of the traffic volume of Edsa and C-5 Road.
The ceremonial opening of the bridge was attended by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea; Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade; BCDA chairman Vince Dizon; MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos; and DPWH Assistant Secretary Wilfredo Mallari.
Also in attendance were Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo; Makati City Rep. Luis Campos; Taguig City Rep. Maria Laarni Cayetano; Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto; Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay; Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano; DPWH Project Directors Virgilio Castillo, Benjamin Bautista, Ramon Arriola, and Johnson Domingo; DPWH Project Manager Ricarte Mañalac and Project Engineer Emmanuel Regodon; and other government officials. (PNA)
