MANILA, Philippines – Heads up, motorists! Expect traffic along some roads in Metro Manila from February 2 to 5 as the government moves heavy machinery that will be used for the Metro Manila Subway Project.

Motorists passing through the following roads in Metro Manila may experience traffic between February 2 and 3, and February 4 and 5:

• 5th Avenue (11 pm to 12 midnight)
• Araneta Avenue (12 am to 1 am)
• Gilmore Avenue (1 am to 2 am)
• Ortigas Avenue – C5 Road (2:30 am to 3:30 am)
• Doña Julia Vargas Avenue ( 3:30 am to 4:00 am)

In a traffic advisory, the Department of Transportation suggested motorists take alternative routes.

During this time, a tunnel boring machine will be transported to Doña Julia Vargas Avenue. It will be used to construct the tunnels of the Metro Manila Subway’s Ortigas Avenue Station, Shaw Boulevard Station, and Kalayaan Avenue Station.

In January 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the launch of the first tunnel boring machine for the subway, which covers the construction of the tunnels for the subway’s first few stations: East Valenzuela Station, Quirino Highway Station, Tandang Sora Station, and North Avenue Station.

The Metro Manila Subway’s first three stations were originally targeted to start operations by 2022. Marcos said he now hopes for them to be ready by 2027.

The long-delayed subway project would be the country’s first underground railway system. Once fully completed, it aims to cut travel time from Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to just 35 minutes. – Rappler.com