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MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to complete its Greenways Project, a series of elevated walkways designed to improve pedestrian mobility and reduce road congestion, by 2027.
DOTr Undersecretary Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said the project will be implemented in key locations along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa), including Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe, and Taft.
鈥淲e call these walkways the Greenways Project and they will be in Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe, and Taft 鈥� these are all in Edsa,鈥� Ortega said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Wednesday.
READ: DOTr announces Edsa Greenway project
Ortega explained that the project aims to provide safer and more efficient routes for pedestrians by allowing them to move between transport hubs and buildings without crossing busy streets.
鈥淲e hope to be operational by 2027, and if this is successful, maybe we could expand it to more areas for the benefit of our pedestrians,鈥� he said.
The Greenways Project is expected to help ease traffic congestion by eliminating pedestrian stoppages at intersections, according to Ortega.
鈥淭he objective of this project is to prevent pedestrians from crossing the streets below, which can cause traffic due to frequent stops. Instead, they will walk on elevated pathways,鈥� the DOTr undersecretary explained.
He noted that the elevated walkways will allow seamless transfers between major transport systems, such as LRT-1, and nearby buildings.
鈥淪o from one area to another, they don鈥檛 have to go down. For example, if they鈥檙e transferring from LRT-1 to another line, they won鈥檛 have to go down to the street鈥攖hey can go directly to the buildings,鈥� he added.
Ortega assured that the project will push through as planned.
鈥淭he program will continue. Our secretary has said that we will push through with this initiative,鈥� he said.
The DOTr undersecretary also remained optimistic that the project will significantly improve pedestrian mobility in Metro Manila and serve as a model for future walkability projects in other urban areas.