MANILA — Residents, motorists and daily commuters from Novaliches hailed the promise of Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy G. Belmonte to look into the delay in the construction of the Visayas Avenue extension to Novaliches to ease the perennial traffic problem in the area.
The residents, mostly employees and students, expressed gladness to recent news reports that Belmonte would inquire from concerned city and barangay officials on the actual status of the project.
She made the statement after she was informed by media members in the new weekly Real News Forum at Rolando’s Restaurant in Project 6, Quezon City that as a result of the stoppage of work on the project, a portion of the proposed Visayas Avenue extension to Novaliches is now being used as “parking area, playground and lately, a carnival site.”
“I will look into that and will coordinate with the barangay officials on what is causing the delay,” Belmonte told forum attendees who included retired Philippine News (PNA) Agency managing editor Ben Cal and former National Press Club (NPC) president and Manila Bulletin foreign news editor Fred Gabot.
The Visayas Avenue extension project started in 2011 by the Department of Public Works and Highways-National Capital Region (DPWH-NCR), in coordination with the Quezon City First Engineering District.
It was, however, halted by right-of-way problems along certain areas.
The road will pass through portions of Barangays Tandang Sora, Pasong Tamo near Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park, cross the proposed Republic Avenue in Barangays Sauyo and Holy Spirit, cross Tuliahan River near Barangay Sta. Lucia before joining with Commonwealth Avenue, Regalado Avenue, Mindanao Avenue and Quirino Highway in Fairview, Novaliches.
Visayas Avenue was one of the six major routes planned to emanate from the Quezon Memorial Circle-Elliptical Road since the 1950s.
The five others were: Quezon Avenue leading to Manila; East Avenue heading to Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) and Cubao; Kalayaan Avenue leading to the V. Luna (now Armed Forces of the Philippines) Medical Center and Projects 2, 3 and 4; Commonwealth Avenue heading to the Batasang Pambansa ang beyond; and North Avenue leading to Mindanao Avenue and Edsa, near SM North Edsa and Trinoma.
When completed, Visayas Avenue extension will ease the traffic problems existing for years along Quirino Highway, Commonwealth Avenue, Tandang Sora Avenue, North Avenue and Mindanao Avenue, among other major routes. (PNA)
