MANILA – A new road alignment connecting Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City and Rizal province is set to open by the end of the year, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the project aims to ease traffic along Commonwealth Avenue, and would cut the travel time between Katipunan and Rizal to just 30 minutes from the usual one hour.

“Itong bagong alignment, magsisimula sa Katipunan at lalabas sa may San Mateo, sa may Marikina side. So lahat ng galing sa Rizal at Marikina, imbes na dumaan sa Commonwealth, puwede nang dumaan sa bypass,” Villar said, adding that the project is around 60 to 70 percent complete.

(This new alignment will start along Katipunan and end at San Mateo, in the Marikina side. So all motorists coming from Rizal and Marikina, instead of passing by Commonwealth, can use the bypass.)

The 5–kilometer road, which is a locally funded project worth P693 million, is expected to accommodate 10,000 vehicles daily.

The road will pass through private properties and subdivisions, including the Loyola Grand Villas, Capitol Homes, Vista Real and North View.

Residents of the private subdivisions welcome the project.

“At first, siyempre, they were all hesitant because it’s a private subdivision… We built additional gates to protect the homeowners eventually. They welcomed it and it shortened the travel time,” said Liezl Magpoc, who represents the marketing team of one of the private subdivisions.

Villar said the department still needs, however, to discuss the project with some residents in the Marikina area.

The project is part of the government’s master plan to alleviate traffic in congested Metro Manila roads.

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