The triple-decker expressway proposal as a traffic solution from a private construction company received some ridicule in different online communities.
Facebook group Commuters of Metro Manila, dedicated to posting commuter woes in the region, posted an image of this proposed expressway on September 10.
The proposal was crafted by private company Avenza Construction and an engineer named Alfredo Garin.
“Just one more lane bro! The unsolicited proposal of Avenza Construction & Engr. Alfredo Garin to build a triple-decker expressway on top of EDSA and C5,” the post reads.
The image showed a computer-generated replica of EDSA with the MRT-3 trains running through it.
The thoroughfare was then reimagined to have three levels of roads built on top of it.
These roads were held by large posts that were similar to the ones in multi-deck parking lots.
The post soon garnered thousands of reactions and comments on the platform.
A Redditor shared on September 12 a screenshot of this Facebook post in an online forum that advocates for sustainable transportation in the world.
“The solution for everyday traffic? Why, a three-decker expressway, of course!” the post reads.
The r/fuckcars subreddit currently has 326,000 members.
As the name suggests, the community talks about “the harmful effects of car dominance on communities, environment, safety, and public health.”
“Aspiration towards more sustainable and effective alternatives like mass transit and improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure,” its profile reads.
The Reddit post, meanwhile, has been up-voted 921 times in the forum.
Interaksyon learned that this picture came from the Facebook page of Avenza Construction and Development Corp.
It was showcased in a video presentation of the project that was released on May 23.
“Unsolicited Proposed MAHARLIKA-EDSA/ C5 Elevated Expressway Project under DPWH,” the post reads.
The video showed different viewpoints of the infrastructure plan and an animated simulation of how a multi-level expressway would run.
How netizens reacted to the proposal
Some online users poked fun at the project’s overall design.
“Every structural engineer is screaming right now,” one user said.
“I am just laughing at how badly it is designed structurally it must be from someone who has never spent 5 seconds thinking about the fact things have both weights and breaking points,” one Redditor said.
“Who on earth wants to live under the shadow of that monstrosity? Truly dystopian stuff,” another Redditor said.
Other Redditors also talked about the lone train system in the photo.
“The trains probably transport more people than all of those highways combined,” one user said.
“Well, at least they are not tearing it down for ‘one more lane’. I have to see a silver lining somewhere or I’ll just cry myself to sleep tonight,” another one said.
Facebook users, meanwhile, called for better public transport, including trains, instead of road projects like this.
“Make public transportation more accessible, feasible, and effective to citizens,” one user said.
“Bat di mag suggest ng BETTER transportation system na mapa mayaman o mahirap gagamitin ito because of comfort and convenience??? Di yung additional construction of roads to cater only to the ones with private vehicles,” another user commented.
The clamor for the government to improve the country’s public transport system has strengthened in recent years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This includes the call on prioritizing commuters and pedestrians over vehicles.
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