THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a new loan to build elevated walkways for pedestrians along Edsa, Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.
In a statement, ADB said the $123-million loan will finance the Edsa Greenways Project, which will construct 5 kilometers of covered walkway linked to mass transit stations along Edsa.
These walkways will link the Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe and Taft stations. These will be equipped with elevators and monitoring systems and will be accessible for all including the elderly, pregnant women, young children and persons with disabilities.
“The Edsa Greenways Project is an integral part of the government’s transport strategy to make Metro Manila a better place to live, work, and visit,” said ADB’s Southeast Asia Transport and Communications Director Hiroaki Yamaguchi. “This project is an important part of our contribution to helping make that vision a reality for Filipinos.”
ADB said an international consulting firm has been hired to work on the project’s feasibility study with the Department of Transportation, with funding from ADB’s Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF).
It will also be supported by a $15-million loan from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Catalytic Green Finance Facility, to be administered by ADB.
The project aims to support Metro Manila’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. It is expected to create jobs during the construction period, with P3 billion ($61 million) to be spent on local raw materials. The civil works contracts for the project are expected to be awarded during the first half of 2021.
“This project will encourage more Filipinos to switch from private vehicles to public transport, which is being strengthened with the North–South Commuter railway, the Metro Manila subway, and the upgraded Light Rail/Metro Rail Transit systems,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist for Southeast Asia Shuji Kimura.
“The project, to be built with cutting-edge technology for cantilever overhead walkways, will provide safe, inclusive, and equitable access for commuters while lowering CO2 emissions,” Kimura added.
ADB said the project is part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development program which aims to address the country’s infrastructure constraints and spur economic growth.
Last week, data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said infrastructure spending declined by 18.4 percent in the January-to-October period due to quarantine restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19.
DBM said infrastructure and capital outlays reached P508.5 billion in January to October 2020, P114.3 billion lower than the P622.9 billion posted in the same period last year.
In March, the government imposed strict community quarantines nationwide to avert the spread of Covid-19. The move limited mobility and halted various construction projects, including the government’s Build, Build, Build program.
Image credits: Namhwi Kim | Dreamstime.com