Photo courtesy of DPWH
Flood-prone stretches of Metro Manila’s busiest roads are set for drainage upgrades as the Department of Public Works and Highways moves to increase the capacity of street inlets to handle heavy rainfall.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said construction would begin when weather conditions permit, with locations that frequently become inundated getting first priority.
The initiative follows modifications along the southbound portion of EDSA between Guadalupe and Estrella in Makati, where three existing drainage openings were widened from 0.5 meter to 1.5 meters.
Dizon said the department observed that the larger openings allowed surface water to drain more efficiently, prompting plans to adopt the approach in other parts of the capital.
Among the locations identified for improvements are flood-prone sections near Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame, Santolan and Balintawak, as well as portions of Quezon Avenue, C-5, Commonwealth Avenue, Roxas Boulevard and Araneta Avenue.
The wider rollout will cover priority areas in Quezon City, Pasay, Makati, Caloocan, Pasig and Manila.
Beyond individual projects, the DPWH plans to revise its specifications for drainage openings and establish appropriate dimensions and designs for wide national roads such as EDSA, C-5 and Commonwealth Avenue.