G. Araneta-Quezon Avenue finally opens

By Mikaela Joyce Sarthou

Motorists found relief as G. Araneta-Quezon Avenue underpass finally opened for public use last September 28, Friday.

President Benigno Aquino III led the opening ceremony as he was on a 'drive thru'. He lauded the P430M total cost out of the original budget of P640M for the said road project in his 5-minute speech.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, councilors and other officials were also present during the inauguration.

The depressed road consists of four lanes, two per direction and stretches up to 440 linear meters.

The construction of the G. Araneta-Quezon Avenue underpass started on June 20, 2011 and was finished three months earlier than its expected 540-day completion on December 2012.

According to Danilo Idos, DPWH Project Director for Urban Road, "Rain or shine, we pushed to work 24/7 to finish the project."

The construction has a flood control system, which consisted of pump house located beneath the service road of Quezon Avenue and a powerhouse above a median island at the intersection of Quezon Avenue and G. Araneta.

Three units of submersible pumps were also installed, each with a capacity of 277 liters per second.

Idos said that the underpass was “completely flood-free” and even mentioned, “it did not go flooded as Habagat struck Manila.”

"We have modeled it to a number of underpass constructions and had it under a JICA study since 2004," Idos added.

Meanwhile, motorists like Higo Tusit finally spared a sigh regarding the traffic that took place upon the construction of the depressed road. Tusit is a member of a jeepney association, which drivers traverse from 5th Avenue to Quezon Avenue.

"So far, I think it was good. We [drivers] cannot fully tell its functionality as of now. It's too early to tell," Tusit said.

During the underpass construction, the average traveling time from 5th Avenue to Quezon Avenue was 45-50 minutes, since motorists bulge up from the streches of Maria Clara Street up to Quezon Avenue. However, until the inauguration, the initial travel time of 30 minutes was retained.