Construction of 4.7-km EDSA walkway to start soon

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is searching for a general consultant for the EDSA Greenways Project, a 4.7-kilometer elevated walkway along Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.

DOTr said the general consultant will help manage the project, in addition to supervising the construction.

The expert will provide transaction advisory service for the selection of private sector partners who will operate and maintain the footbridge system.

The general consultant will also engage in capacity development for DOTr and implementation of health and safety safeguards.

DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said the EDSA Greenways has been prioritized among various transport infrastructure projects under his term.

The mass transit walkway will be built along EDSA spanning Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe and Taft.

The idea is to build an efficient pedestrian access to and from selected railway stations of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1, LRT 2 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3.

This project complements DOTr’s Active Transport Program, which also highlights the need to set up separate bike lanes for cyclists.

This year, the DOTr expects to build at least an additional 260 km of dedicated bike lanes. The country has about 812 km of exclusive lanes for cyclists and wants to build 2,400 km by 2028.

A 2022 survey by the Social Weather Stations notes that one in four Filipino households owns a bike and about 30% have at least one household member biking for essential or leisure purposes.

To fast-track the country’s transportation projects, the Dizon ordered the creation of Flagship Project Management Office, which is tasked with directing policies related to infrastructure building and ensuring the “allotment of maximum effort and resources of the DOTr.”

The office also monitors the progress of the infrastructure flagship projects to ensure these will be completed within the set deadlines.

Other priority projects cited by Dizon are the Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Railway and EDSA Busway.