(SPOT.ph) If residents of northern Quezon City had a mascot, it'd no doubt be Garfield, the comic strip cat notorious for hating Mondays. Motorists who travel along Commonwealth Avenue are certainly no stranger to the eternal punishment that is the Monday commute, what with the ongoing MRT-7 construction; no clear markers for jeep, bus lanes, or pedestrians; and just seemingly random potholes appearing in the middle of the road (another one is appearing as you read these lines).
Unfortunately, the Monday traffic of July 25 is looking to be no different—maybe worse, even—so you can already start preparing over the weekend that "here we go again" spiel that you'll say with a deep sigh as you head out the door. President Bongbong Marcos' first State of the Nation Address (SONA) is scheduled to take place on Monday, July 25th at Batasang Pambansa Complex, so measures are already underway to give motorists alternate routes to take, in order to avoid Commonwealth traffic.
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Here are the alternate routes you can take to avoid traffic on Commonwealth during the 2022 SONA:
Aside from deploying 1,133 traffic personnel to the area, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has also provided a guide to alternate routes you can take on Monday, July 25. They're listed as follows:
For motorists heading north to Fairview from the Quezon Memorial Circle:
- "Vehicles from Elliptical Road should take North Avenue, turn right at Mindanao Avenue then turn right to Sauyo Road or take Quirino Highway, then Commonwealth Avenue to reach [Fairview]."
Conversely, for motorists heading south to the Memorial Circle from the northern tip of Commonwealth:
- "Vehicles from Commonwealth Avenue should take Sauyo Road or Quirino highway, turn left at Mindanao Avenue, then turn left at North Avenue to reach [Quezon Memorial Circle]."
Alternatively, northbound motorists from Quezon Memorial Circle can also travel through Marikina to reach Fairview:
- "Light vehicles from [Quezon Memorial Circle] should turn right at Maharlika St., turn left at Mayaman St., turn right at Maginhawa St., turn left at C.P. Garcia Avenue, turn right at Katipunan Ave., turn left at A. Bonifacio Ave., go straight to Gen. Luna Ave., turn right at Kambal Rd., turn left at GSIS Road, turn left at Jones St., turn right at Gen. Luna Ave., go straight to A. Mabini St., turn left at Rodriguez Highway, turn left at Payatas Road to reach the [entrance of Fairview].
Finally, motorists coming from C-5 along Katipunan are also advised to take the following routes:
- Light vehicles: "Turn left at Magiting St., turn right at Maginhawa St., turn left at Mayaman St. to Kalayaan Avenue to reach the point of destination."
- Trucks: "Take Luzon Flyover then turn left at Congressional Avenue to reach the point of destination."
Commonwealth itself will have a zipper/counterflow lane implemented on its southbound portion, for the use of government officials and guest attendees of the event in order to proceed to the venue with minimal obstruction. For more information, see MMDA's official statement below.
Is SONA a Holiday?
A declaration has yet to be announced if a non-working holiday will be declared for the 2022 SONA. The previous SONA's of late President Noynoy Aquino and former President Rodrigo Duterte have had work proceed as usual on the days that their SONA's were held. For Duterte's 2019 SONA, however, the Quezon City Government declared no classes in all levels of public and private schools.
The announcement was made four days in advance of the SONA, however, so don't hold your breath for a buzzer-beater holiday announcement over the weekend.
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