Quezon City starts zipper lane dry run on Commonwealth

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government, in coordination with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), started yesterday the four-day dry run of the implementation of the zipper lane and road diversion to alleviate traffic gridlocks along Commonwealth Avenue.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the alternative route aims to ease bottlenecks caused by the construction works for the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), which will run from the proposed North Avenue Central station in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.

“Since the MRT-7 construction on the Elliptical Road-North Avenue interchange will be extended for another two months, we will have to devise ways to ease the flow of traffic in the area, especially after the holiday season,” Belmonte said.

The dry run will last until Jan. 3. A zipper or counterflow lane will be opened from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. for westbound vehicles or motorists going to Elliptical Road.

The entrance to the counterflow lane will be at the Luzon and Tandang Sora Avenue area. Another one in front of University of the Philippines Ayala Technohub will be opened tomorrow.

The zipper lane will end at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue eastbound and University Avenue leading to UP Diliman.

Motorists can turn left, enter the university and proceed to C.P. Garcia and Katipunan Avenues, allowing them to bypass the congested stretch of Elliptical Road from Philcoa to North Avenue during morning rush hour.

Motorists coming from Elliptical Road will have to turn right to University Avenue and make a U-turn to reenter Commonwealth Avenue.

Assistant city administrator Alberto Kimpo said this initiative is meant to give an alternative route to motorists.

He said additional traffic enforcers would be deployed and signs and barriers would be installed in the areas to guide motorists.

“Aside from the city’s Task Force on Transport and Traffic Management personnel, the MMDA and the MRT-7 contractor will help deploy additional manpower to ensure the smooth flow of traffic,” Kimpo said.