Marcos orders demolition of 'Mt. Kamuning' footbridge; DOTr to replace it with lower one that has elevator
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered the removal of the so-called "Mt. Kamuning" footbridge in Quezon City, the Department of Transportation said.
Due to its steep and sky-high design, the EDSA-Kamuning footbridge has been likened to a mountain. It has since become infamous among commuters, some of whom complained of exhaustion and knee pain.
"Masyadong matarik at hindi accessible ang overpass, lalo na sa mga senior citizen at persons with disability," the DOTr said in a statement released on June 4. It also shared videos of its officials, including Sec. Vince Dizon, inspecting the bridge.
"Ang tingin ko talaga sa saloobin ni Pangulo ay hindi naman talaga dapat ganito ang ginagawa natin para sa mga kababayan natin lalo na 'yung mga road users at komyuter," Dizon said.
He recalled Marcos telling him, "We have to tear it down and build a better one."
"And I think that is really the essence of what he wants to do," Dizon said, adding that the national government will work on the footbridge's replacement immediately.
“Malinaw naman ang utos ng Pangulo na gawing mas convenient ang facilities natin para sa pedestrians at commuters. At ‘yan ang gagawin natin, sisiguruhin natin na ‘yung ipapalit na overpass ay mas madali para sa mga kakabayan natin,” he said.
According to Dizon, the new lower footbridge will have elevators connected to the GMA-Kamuning EDSA Busway station.
The DOTr gave a look at its conceptual design on Facebook.
Construction will begin this year, the DOTr said.
The EDSA-Kamuning footbridge opened in November 2018. At the time, the Metro Manila Development Authority said the bridge, which had a P10 million budget for its construction, was constructed to minimize cases of road crashes in that area.
