Walkway from Buendia MRT to BGC
There is a plan to build an elevated walkway from Buendia MRT to BGC. The project is called “Phase 1 of Makati – Bonifacio Global City Segment of the Metro Manila Greenway Project (MMGP)”. The MMGP is an ambitious plan by the government to build high quality walkways, bikeways and public spaces that can be used for improved mobility and recreation.
The Buendia to BGC walkway is to be funded by the Department of Transport and executed by the Base Conversion Development Authority. The walkway will be approximately 1 km long.
Bidding for a consultancy Services for the Detailed Architectural and Engineering Design of the project was announced in March 2019. According to the bidding documents, the walkway shall start from Buendia MRT and connect with the existing walk that is being used by the public to cross to the north bound MRT station on EDSA. It will turn to Quingua Street until it reaches the north-eastern part of BGC.
When completed, commuters will have a much easier time going to and from BGC to Buendia MRT. However, it is not possible to estimate a date for the completion of this project, even though it is a very simple and small project, because it has an elevated portion and the design may need to address first concerns about privacy and security from the households neighboring the walkway.
BGC-Ortigas Center Link Road Project (used to be called Sta Monica Bridge project)
It is a government priority project under the Build Build Build campaign.The four-lane bridge is expected to serve as a major alternate route for motorists traveling from Pasig (via Kapitolyo) to Taguig and vice versa. The structure is pegged to cost P1.6 billion to build, and will span a total of 961 meters. Construction of the bridge began in July 2017, and according to the Department of Public Works and Highway, its target date of completion is June 2020.
Photo above is an image taken from a Youtube video by dmitrivalencia in April 2019 of the bridge on BGC side. Below is an image of the bridge on Pasig side.
Photo above is also taken from the Youtube video by dmitrivalencia.
While we welcome the construction of the bridge, we hope that the bus lane and pedestrian walkway portion of the bridge that was envisioned in 2015, and as reported in our article entitled “A Resilient and Healthy BGC” in August 2015, will still materialize. We cannot see it from the videos that we managed to find, and the project details do not seem to be available to the public.
To really improve traffic, public mass transport and pedestrian access need to be enhanced.
Widening of Lawton Avenue
When you pass by McKinley West to go to NAIA, you will see that the widening of Lawton Avenue (which connects Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Air Base) project under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is well under way. The section near 5th Avenue of BGC is nearly completed, and the construction of the section going towards Skyway is on going. According to DPWH, the widening project is expected to be completed this year and will reduce by 40 percent the travel time between Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Nearly 500 trees were taken down in the process, but the BCDA was in turn ordered to plant 21,250 seedlings of hardened indigenous trees as replacement.
Extension of BGC Greenway
We heard from a reliable source that the BGC Greenway is getting a Php 30 million upgrade thanks to corporate contributions as part of a Rotary project. Bonifacio Arts Foundation Inc will be providing additional money to restore/upgrade Kasalikasan Garden near De Jesus Oval at 25th Avenue. As part of the extension project, the roundabouts at De Jesus Oval and Padre Gomez (near Beaufort condo) will be modified to allow better vehicular traffic flow. We are waiting for more details from the relevant parties regarding this project.
Monorail from Guadalupe to Uptown
A proposed monorail project that will link MRT Line 3’s station at Guadalupe to Uptown Bonifacio, MegaworldÔÇÖs mixed-use estate in north BGC is being considered by the National Economic Development Authority. The Skytrain project was proposed by Infracorp, a company associated with Megaworld Corporation which owns the Uptown development in north BGC, in 2017.
Under the proposal by Infracorp, the train will utilize the automated cable-propelled monorail technology. A station will be built in Guadalupe, Makati near the MRT station and another in Uptown Bonifacio, at no cost to the government.
Image source: Infracorp / Entrepreneur.com.ph
Once it secures approval from the NEDA board, the project will be subjected to a competitive Swiss challenge where other firms can submit counter proposals. As the original proponent, Infracorp will have the right to match the new offer.
If Infracorp’s project is approved by the government, the Skytrain monorail project will take three years to construct and it could be interconnected with the subway system project passing through Fort Bonifacio that the government is set to build.
Traffic and development in Fort Bonifacio
As more developments are completed in the BGC and McKinley Hill / McKinley West area, we will see even more traffic going through Fort Bonifacio. The projects mentioned above hopefully can slow down the deterioration in the living and working environment in this unique part of Metro Manila, where international firms have been drawn to by its promises of world-class management and amenities.
Let us know your views about these projects by commenting. If we have made an error, or if you have additional information, please email us at info@thefortcity.com.
