The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) opened the Santa Monica-Lawton Bridge, now dubbed Kalayaan Bridge, as the Philippines celebrated its 123rd Independence Day on Saturday, June 12.

Kalayaan Bridge is a key component of the road project linking business districts Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and Ortigas Center, which is part of the government’s plan to decongest EDSA.

“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 and Mandaluyong City to only 12 minutes,” said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

Part of the BGC-Ortigas Center Link project is the widening of a 362-meter road segment along Brixton Street from Reliance Street to Fairlane Street in Mandaluyong City.

A 565-meter viaduct will also be constructed, which will traverse Lawton Avenue to the entrance of BGC.

The viaduct is targeted for completion by the fourth quarter of 2021.

In 2020, Villar announced that the four-lane BGC-Ortigas Center Link should be completed that year, but the coronavirus pandemic happened.

Earlier in 2021, the DPWH targeted partial opening of the road by May, but the agency had to reschedule due to remaining civil works. – Rappler.com