Construction of MRT7’s North Avenue segment starts

Transportation officials started the construction of the North Avenue segment of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 past midnight on Sunday.

According to a report on GMA News' "Balitanghali Weekend," metal barriers have been put in place in both northbound and southbound lanes as the construction began.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) earlier advised that heavy traffic should be expected on North Avenue and in Quezon City Circle due to the construction.

"Gaya nung mga nararanasan ng ating mga kababayan dito sa Commonwealth Avenue at 'yung mga sinimulan nating construction along Qurino Highway doon sa may Fairview, Novaliches papuntang north Caloocan, talagang magkakaroon ng pagbagal sa daloy ng trapiko lalo na ngang magsisimula ang construction," Van Evangelista, MRT7 Traffic Management public information officer said in a separate Balitanghali interview.

Evangelista said the government and its private partner will employ additional traffic enforcers to address the affected routes.

Construction of the project will also be on a non-stop basis, Evangelista said, but noted that this will only be within the working areas and will only affect one lane.

"24/7 siya but only inside [the working areas]," Evangelista said.

The MRT7 is a 22-kilometer rail transit system with 14 stations connecting North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.

Its stations will include North Avenue, Quezon City Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala, and San Jose Del Monte. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News