Several months ago, congresswoman Annie Susano of

Quezon City called the Honorable MMDA Chairman and raised

her concern about the increasing number of queries and
comments when the MMDA installed the first newly designed
u-turn before Batasan Road. Many of the comments came
from no less than her colleagues in congress wherein one of
them even threatened to file a resolution to investigate MMDA
for the haphazard implementation of projects.

This presentation intends to demonstrate the reasons

behind the scheme they have been worried about and to
inform everybody that in all projects that the MMDA implement,
a thorough study and technical analysis is being done to
ensure the operational success of the plan at the least cost to
the government.
 The Development of
Commonwealth Avenue
(Quezon City)

Engr. Ramon S. Ona

Director III

Traffic Engineering Center

TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OFFICE

MMDA
221,759 Vehicles per day

UP
95 METERS ROAD RIGHT OF WAY

DONA
CARMEN

8 KM
QMC
 ROAD PAVEMENT BEFORE
THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

EXISTING WIDTH : 5 TO 8 LANES WITH SOME AREAS

OCCUPIED BY INFORMAL SETTLERS AND ILLEGAL
STRUCTURES INCLUDING COMMERCIAL
ESTABLISHMENTS
Design criteria:
– Acquire the full 95 m road right of way
– Safe and continuous flow
– Intersections with minimal delay
– Average speed of 50 kph
– Design speed: 80 kph
– Minimize obstruction and eliminate concrete
barriers at u-turn slots
– Provision for mass transport system (MRT,
TRAM, BRT etc.)
10 - LANE ROAD EACH DIRECTION?

95 m

WHY NOT?
 REASON NO. 1
Safety on High Speed Conflict
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
EXISTING WIDEST ARTERIAL ROADS IN
MODERN COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Exceptionally wide I-75 in Atlanta,

with 8 lanes each direction

Zagreb, Croatia is 70m wide, but only has 6 lanes

3 lanes each direction

 I-75 Georgia

8 lanes plus shoulder

 Netherlands, A16

5 lanes between dividers

Can accommodate 12 lanes each direction
A4, the western Part of the ring road around Rotterdam:
About 95 m RROW

2 to 3 lanes between dividers with shoulders

‘ Acceso Norte' Highway ('Northern Access' Highway), Buenos
Aires. With 18 lanes is the widest highway in Argentina:

6 LANES MAXIMUM BETWEEN DIVIDERS

 Netherlands: A15
southern part,
6 LANES MAXIMUM
BETWEEN DIVIDERS
 REASON NO. 2

Vehicle Conflict on
Junctions
20-LANE ROAD CROSSING WITH A 4-LANE ROAD

4 full intersections
8 T intersections
20 - LANE ROAD CROSSING WITH A 4 - LANE ROAD

228
VEHICLE TO
VEHICLE
CONFLICTS
222,000 Vehicles per day
11,000 Vehicles during peak hour
5 Lanes per direction

7-LANE PER DIRECTION

 SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE CONFLICTS:

2. CONSTRUCT INTERCHANGES
1. TRAFFIC SIGNAL
WITH SIGNAL LIGHTS or FOOT
LIGHTS
BRIDGE
5 M + 2.5 M 1 to 3 B
(Maintenance Expenses)

3. CONSTRUCT ELEVATED 4. PROVIDE AT-GRADE U-

U-TURN INTERCHANGES TURNS WITH FOOT BRIDGE
WITH FOOT BRIDGE
2M + 24 M Foot Bridge
400 M
DOWNTOWN WIDE ROADS IN OTHER
COUNTRIES
 9 De Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina:
9 lanes per direction with traffic signal lights
9 de Julio Ave., Buenos
9 DeArgentina
Aires, Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Moscow Sadovoye Koltzo (Ring Road),
9 lanes each direction October 2007:
THE CONCEPT DESIGN

U-TURN LANES PRIVATE LANES PUV LANES

2 1 5 4 3 2 1 2 1
U-TURN U-TURN PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATE PUV PUV

B A
BVR 678 BVR 678 BVR 678
BVR BVR BVR DSF 253
VHY 857
VRY 857 678 678 678

 BIKE LANE
 PLANTING STRIP
 FOOT BRIDGE
 WALKWAY
 OVERHEAD SIGNS
 2 PUV/BUS LANES
 5 PRIVATE VEHICLE LANES  HIGH MAST STREET LIGHTING

 U-TURN LANES AND  POWER DISTRIBUTION POLES

EMERGENCY AREAS
 PROPERTY BUILDING
LINE LINE

BUILDING
SETBACK
8.00 m

SIDE STREET REGULATION (PD 1096)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AT-GRADE U-TURNS IN THE DESIGN OF
COMMONWEALTH AVE.

1. SAFE U-TURN MANEUVER WITH ENOUGH

TURNING RADIUS
2. ELIMINATE THE USE OF CONCRETE
BARRIERS
3. SHOULD NOT OBSTRUCT THROUGH TRAFFIC
DESIGN OF
AT GRADE
U-TURN
 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DESIGN
DESIGN DATA

– ROAD INVENTORY
SURVEY (RIS)
 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DESIGN
DESIGN DATA
– TRAFFIC SURVEY
– PEDESTRIAN SURVEY
 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DESIGN

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Using STAAD
 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DESIGN

ROADWAY DESIGN
Using CADD
 TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
Using Traffic Simulation and
Path Planner Software

TEC TRAFFIC ENGINEERS PERFORMING

COMPUTER TRAFFIC SIMULATION
COMPUTER TRAFFIC SIMULATION OF
COMMONWEALTH AVENUE
 7 MAJOR ROADS PROJECT

1. Commonwealth Ave.
2. EDSA
3. Quezon Ave.
4. Marcos Highway
5. Mac Arthur Highway
6. Carlos P. Garcia Ave (C5)
7. Radial Road 10 (R-10)
 THE DESIGNERS HOPE TO ACHIEVE THE
FOLLOWING TARGETS:

1. The RROW shall be preserved for use of the vehicles,

passengers and pedestrians

2. Completely assert the roadway policy as stipulated in PD

1096.

3. Save several billions of pesos a year in the economy and

reduction of carbon emission and health benefits.

4. Reduction of accident through safe design, appropriate

geometry and consistency of traffic movements.
 End of Presentation
Ganadong araw po sa
Gwapong Metro