By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco / Correspondent
OFFICIALS of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) have agreed to open Vertis North in Quezon City to address the traffic congestion, particularly on Edsa, an official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.
MMDA acting Chairman Thomas Orbos said Vertis North will be open for light vehicles passing through the northbound leg of Edsa going to North Ave. and Balintawak. Orbos said the plan is to open the property of Ayala in February next year.
The MMDA chief also said the Inter-agency Council on Traffic is planning to open two private roads in a government property in Makati. He was referring to the access road from the South Superhighway near the PNR Magallanes station in Makati for vehicles bound to Cubao in Quezon City.
“Bubutasan ang South Super Highway para makapunta ng Cubao. Isang lane lang din pero matatagalan sa pagtaas ng riles,” he said, adding it will take six months for the plan to materialize since they need to repair the road and align the rail tracks.
For the opening of Vertis North, however, Orbos expressed the belief it would help decongest a portion of Edsa in Quezon City by allowing motorists to pass through Vertis North instead of traversing the highway. Orbos said one lane will be available to motorists, but they have to create a path through the center island so that vehicles can enter and make a U-turn going to Balintawak. They can also enter the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) if they want to go to the North Luzon Expressway.
Orbos said an access road will also be opened between the Quezon Ave. station and the North Ave. station of the Metro Rail Transport (MRT) line 3 to provide an alternate route for motorists who want to go to TriNoma. The vehicles will exit at the MRT depot near TriNoma’s Landmark.