As traffic continues to worsen in Metro Manila, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) carries on in making new roads and thoroughfares to ease traffic flow in the busy metropolis.

Soon though, motorists that frequently ply along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City will get to experience better traffic flow going to Batasan and San Mateo, Rizal. After being on the drawing board for nearly 60 years, the Katipunan Ave. Extension project will finally push through.

This was made possible after the DPWH and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the project. Signing the MOA were DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar and MWSS Administrator Rey Velasco.

Why the long delay for such a key road project? According to Velasco, the project was pushed back several years due to right-of-way problems as most of the land areas belonged to private owners who refused to sell their properties. After many failed negotiations over the years, the government under the Duterte administration was finally able to convince the land owners to sell their property in order for the project to commence.

The DPWH stated that the government was able to purchase the properties of land from Php 9,900 to Php 40,000 per square meter, depending on the location. When fully completed, the Katipunan Avenue Extension is aimed at decongesting traffic in the area, including the busy Batasan-San Mateo Road.

The road extension project will begin at the corner of Katipunan Avenue and MWSS properties passing through Loyola GrandVillas. It will then pass through properties owned by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Armed Forces of The Philippines Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (AFP-MBA), Capitol Homes, Vista Real Subdivision, and Filinvest Northview Subdivision.

The DPWH proclaimed that the road project will take 10 months to be completed and will serve to free up more road space in the already bustling avenue.