EDSA bus lanes open to summit convoys

Motorists and commuters should expect traffic adjustments along EDSA and other major Metro Manila roads as authorities accommodate convoys carrying foreign delegates to the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on 16 to 18 November.

Department of Transportation (DoTr) Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Ramon Illagan said buses would share the EDSA bus lanes with official convoys, with traffic personnel implementing stop-and-go measures to ensure the smooth passage of both.

“We have to accommodate the convoys carrying our delegates. If they are allowed to use only one lane of the bus lane, we will not be able to accommodate the entire convoy,” Illagan said in Filipino.

The designated ASEAN lane will be limited to summit convoys and buses, while private vehicles will continue using the other EDSA lanes.

Motorists coming from the Ayala Tunnel should also expect stop-and-go traffic approaching the Magallanes Flyover.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Romando Artes said congestion could be heaviest from 12 to 14 November to convoy rehearsals, traffic simulations, road repairs and adjustments to barriers.

Traffic disruptions are expected to ease during the summit itself, partly because 16 to 18 November have been declared special non-working holidays across Metro Manila.

Artes said temporary traffic stoppages would be imposed when convoys pass, but these would generally last only a few minutes.

The MMDA clarified that there would be no general road closures, although access to four streets within the security exclusion zone surrounding the Philippine International Convention Center will be restricted until 18 November.

These are Atang de la Rama, Vicente Sotto, Pedro Bukaneg and Magdalena Jalandoni streets. Only vehicles with ASEAN stickers or proper authorization will be allowed inside the restricted perimeter.

Truck rerouting will also be implemented from 15 to 18 November to keep container trucks away from Roxas Boulevard.