Today is Saturday, January 19, 2019. If you’ve been paying attention to our website, you’ll know that today marks the closure of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge—otherwise known as the Rockwell Bridge. Why? Because the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) wants to tear it down and replace it with a wider four-lane structure.
The move to replace the current bridge has been met by public backlash and controversy. Initially, the bridge was scheduled to be closed in September last year. This was moved to January 12, 2019 and postponed again until today. Now, it’s pushed through.
According to the DPWH, the new Rockwell Bridge—which will take an estimated 30 months to build—will be able to serve up to 1.3 million cars daily. So why the bummed motorists? Well, it’s because the Mandaluyong side of the project will still lead to a two-lane road, essentially creating a bottleneck which could have a ripple effect on traffic in the area.
If you often use the route as a means to avoid EDSA’s hellish traffic, well, good luck for the next 30 months. With all this in mind, we ask: Do you think replacing the Rockwell Bridge is the right move? Let us know what you think in the poll below:
