Political will is the crucial key to solving Metro Manila’s traffic woes, according to newly-minted Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar. The secretary is convinced that the metropolis’ perennial traffic problems can be remedied by the Duterte administration in only two to three years.
“It is a problem we can solve in two to three years,” Villar declared during the Financial Times – First Metro Philippines Investment Summit in Makati City. “Rest assured that the biggest hurdle, political will, is something that the President has a lot of. The President is dedicated, the President is firm,” he added.
Upcoming government projects aimed at decongesting the traffic gridlock include the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) Connector Road, and the Manila Harbor Link Project. The projects are slated to be completed within two to three years, around the middle of President Duterte’s term.
The NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project involves the construction, operation, and maintenance of an 8-kilometer, 4-lane elevated expressway traversing mostly over the existing Philippine National Railway (PNR) track.
The Manila Harbor Link Project proposes an 8.07-kilometer extension of the NLEX from Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City, to the C-3 Road in Caloocan City.
“Change is here and it will be felt very, very soon,” noted Secretary Villar.