Section of North Avenue in QC Closed to Traffic Today, January 22

Starting at 6 AM today, Tuesday, January 22, a section of North Avenue going to the Quezon City Memorial Circle will be closed to traffic "to ease congestion in the area" amid the ongoing construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Jojo Garcia announced Monday.

"We want to address the chokepoint area on the Elliptical Road with this road closure," Garcia said in a press briefing held yesterday, January 21.

Because of the closure, the agency is advising motorists coming from North Avenue to turn right at Agham Road and then turn left at Quezon Avenue toward Quezon Memorial Circle to reach their destination.

In addition to the road closure, the MMDA will also continue with its dry run of the yellow lane policy along Elliptical Road, which started last January 16.

Under the new policy, vehicles on the yellow lanes marked by solid lines are prohibited from swerving, changing lanes, or overtaking. Instead, motorists must stay on their lanes as they drive along Elliptical Road.

"Starting Monday, we will start apprehending violators through the 'no contact apprehension' policy," Garcia added, which means that the MMDA will use its closed-circuit television cameras to monitor violations of the yellow lane policy.

If the MMDA decides to fully implement the policy, it is reported that the agency will seek to impose a PHP1,000 fine against violators.

According to the MMDA, the yellow lane policy was implemented after it noted that vehicles along the Elliptical Road, specifically those from the inner lanes, would often snake out of their lanes, causing chokepoints to form. 

A total of 8,728 vehicles is reported to traverse the Elliptical Road-Quezon Memorial Circle while 1,419 vehicles traverse from North Avenue to Quezon Memorial Circle during the morning rush hour, based on data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center.

Last January 8, the MMDA imposed a PHP25,000 fine against MRT-7 private contractor EEI Corporation for its road works, which occupied two lanes along Elliptical Road and North Avenue and caused a traffic gridlock in the area.

The MRT-7 is a 22.8-km railway line that will consist of 14 stations, traversing from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.