Mindanao Avenue Extension to Gen. Luis Avenue to be Completed by Q2 2019

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to complete the 1.8-kilometer section of Mindanao Avenue Extension from P. Dela Cruz Street to Gen. Luis Avenue in Caloocan City.

In an inspection held Thursday, January 17, DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar announced that the ongoing road project dubbed as Mindanao Avenue Extension Segment 2C is now 90 percent completed.

"Our target is to accomplish this section by second quarter of 2019. We are also closely coordinating with the National Housing Authority and local government units for the prompt relocation of informal settler families (ISFs) along the alignment to make the entire eight-lane road accessible soon," said Secretary Villar.

Secretary Villar noted that the opening of the entire Mindanao Avenue Extension is significant as it can reduce travel time from Quezon City in NLEX to North of Caloocan City.

"The Mindanao Avenue Extension Project has been halted for years due to road right-of-way (RROW) issues. From 1980 to 2014, only a total of 1.4-kilometers of the road from Mindanao Avenue to P. Dela Cruz Street was completed and opened," Villar noted.

Since it resumed in 2017, DPWH has acquired a chunk of RROW which resulted in the additional road section starting with the 700-meter section from P. dela Cruz Street to MGM Road in April 2018; and around 1.1-kilometer from MGM Road to Gen. Luis Avenue by February.

Upon completion of Segment 2C, DPWH-National Capital Region Director Ador G. Canlas said only the  320-linear meter remaining gap before P. Dela Cruz Street of Mindanao Avenue Extension will be constructed, pending relocation of ISFs.

To date, fund for the relocation was already transferred to NHA and housing units for the affected ISFs are already available.