The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $123m loan to help build elevated walkways for pedestrians in Manila, the Philippines.
To be built along Manila’s most congested road, the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the walkways will be wide, well-lit, and disaster-resilient for pedestrians.
The Philippine government will construct 5km of covered walkways under the EDSA Greenways Project.
The covered walkways will be linked to mass transit stations along EDSA namely the Balintawak, Cubao, Guadalupe, and Taft stations.
Equipped with elevators and monitoring systems, the 5m-wide structures will be easily accessible for pedestrians who include the elderly, pregnant women, young children, and people with disabilities.
ADB’s Southeast Asia transport and communications director Hiroaki Yamaguchi said: “The EDSA Greenways Project is an integral part of the government’s transport strategy to make Metro Manila a better place to live, work, and visit. This project is an important part of our contribution to helping make that vision a reality for Filipinos.”
The project forms part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure development programme, which is aimed at boosting public spending on infrastructure to attract investments and provide improved connectivity.
ADB Southeast Asia senior transport specialist Shuji Kimura said: “This project will encourage more Filipinos to switch from private vehicles to public transport, which is being strengthened with the North-South Commuter railway, the Metro Manila subway, and the upgraded Light Rail/Metro Rail Transit systems.
“The project, to be built with cutting-edge technology for cantilever overhead walkways, will provide safe, inclusive, and equitable access for commuters while lowering CO2 emissions.”
The project will also receive a $15m loan from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Catalytic Green Finance Facility, which will be administered by ADB.
The civil works contracts for the project will be awarded during the first half of 2021.