MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the private contractor of the planned Daang-Hari-South Luzon Expressway link road project to create an effective traffic management plan to ease up the expected bottleneck during construction period.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino expressed his concerns about the heavy traffic that the project may cause before the Metro Manila mayors and members of the Regional Development Council for the National Capital Region (RDC-NCR) approved the resolution, endorsing the DPWH project to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The Daang-Hari-South Luzon Expressway link road project, which would provide additional access between Metro Manila and Cavite, is a four- kilometer, four-lane paved toll road that will pass through the New Bilibid Prison reservation and will connect Bacoor, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway, through the Susana Heights.

In a meeting, Engineer Ariel Angeles of the DPWH said the RDC-NCR’s approval of the project is needed before they endorse the project to NEDA- Investment Coordination Committee (ICC). Angeles said the Ayala group won the bid to build and operate the Daang-Hari-SLEx road.

Tolentino affirmed that the road would provide an alternative route to and from Metro Manila to Cavite but expressed concerns, particularly in major roads like Alabang-Zapote Road and Commerce Avenue.

Noel Eli Kintanar of Ayala Corporation said they are working together with the Muntinlupa City to address the traffic concerns to minimize traffic congestion during the construction period.