TO EASE TRAFFIC: City gov’t eyes access roads in SM-Ayala-Megaworld area

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

In order to ease the traffic in one of Iloilo City’s major roads, the city government is planning to open access roads that will connect three of the major business zones in Mandurriao district.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said he already instructed the City Planning and Development Office and the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) to study the possible opening of access roads to connect SM City Iloilo to Ayala Land’s Atria Park District and Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district.

“We want to link the properties. Kon ma-connect naton ang Megaworld with SM and Atria, dako gid nga bulig sa traffic,” he told the reporters in an interview on Thursday.

Aside from linking the three business areas in Mandurriao district, the mayor said he is also looking into opening alternative routes in private properties.

“We are also talking to the owner of Prime Estates Mr. Henry Chusuey kay gusto naton malusot from Barangay Nabitasan to Sports Complex in La Paz,” he said.

To settle unsure security concerns, the mayor said they are ready to considerately open the access roads only from 6:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Treñas underscored the need to open such access roads not only to ease traffic but also to improve the connectivity of the metro.

“We want to make sure may certain connectivity ang siyudad ang traffic kon kaisa heavy portions pero kon may lutsan. We cannot yet say kon ma-agree ang tag-iya sang Prime Estate or Megaworld and SM but we want to make the pitch, we want to make Iloilo more livable and these are the ways to do it,” he stressed.