THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is widening sidewalks along Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to give commuters more space to walk safely and prevent them from spilling onto busy roads, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Wednesday.
Dizon said the sidewalk widening project in Pasay City near the corner of Roxas Boulevard and EDSA has increased the pedestrian walkway from about 1.5 meters to 4.5 or 4.6 meters.
The area is a busy commuting point, with large numbers of passengers boarding public transportation in the morning and afternoon.
“This would be important for the commuters, as they would no longer have to walk on the road, eliminating the danger they previously faced,” the DPWH chief said.
He said the project was part of the government's effort to provide commuters with safer, more accessible walkways.
Also in Pasay, the DPWH plans to widen sidewalks to an average of about 3 to 3.2 meters, up from roughly 1 meter. The narrowest sections would measure at least 2.8 meters, Dizon said.
He noted that work has been challenging because some establishments in the city and other obstructions occupy portions of the sidewalks that need to be cleared or improved.
Dizon said widened sidewalks had also been completed or were being developed in parts of Makati, with the DPWH aiming to extend the improvements continuously up to Guadalupe on both sides of EDSA before the end of the year.
The top DPWH official acknowledged project delays due to persistent rains, which make construction difficult and risk damaging completed work.
The public works department is taking advantage of periods of better weather to continue construction, he said.
Dizon said work would proceed as conditions allowed to provide commuters with wider and safer walkways along the major thoroughfare.
