C5 flyover repairs, road crashes disrupt Undas traffic

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists on C5 faced traffic disruptions on Sunday, November 1, as repairs continued on a major flyover in Quezon City and several road crashes were reported along the highway during the Undas weekend.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) began rehabilitating the northbound section of the C5 Boni Serrano Flyover at midnight on Saturday. The affected section is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. on Tuesday.

The work includes asphalt patching, lane marking, repainting of fences and installation of additional road delineators.

The DPWH has also installed steel grating to restore a previously closed drainage inlet and cleaned and repainted reflectorized delineators along the flyover.

The agency advised motorists to plan their trips and use alternative routes while the rehabilitation continues.

Slow-moving traffic, road incidents

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported slow-moving to moderate northbound traffic from the C5 Bagong Ilog Flyover to the service road on Sunday morning. Southbound traffic along the C5 service road was moderate.

Several incidents also affected portions of the highway earlier in the day.

At 6:06 a.m., two SUVs were involved in a crash on the northbound C5 Carlos P. Garcia Bridge, occupying one lane.

Another crash involving two motorcycles was reported at the C5-Ortigas IPI area eastbound at 5:50 a.m., also occupying one lane.

In Quezon City, a car crash at the C5 Katipunan-H. Ventura U-turn slot occupied one lane at 4:29 a.m.

Earlier, at 3:46 a.m., a wing van stalled because of a mechanical problem along northbound C5 Katipunan-H. Ventura, temporarily occupying another lane.

MMDA traffic enforcers responded to the crashes. 

The incidents followed slow-moving traffic reported on Saturday evening along several C5 sections, including Eastwood to Bagong Ilog southbound, Palar to Bagong Ilog northbound, and Greenmeadows to Libis northbound.

In its 7 p.m. traffic bulletin on Saturday, the MMDA attributed congestion along those stretches to vehicle volume and ongoing DPWH roadworks.

Longer-term repairs in Pasig

Apart from the rehabilitation of the Boni Serrano Flyover, structural strengthening work is underway at the Pasig Boulevard-C5 Flyover in Barangay Bagong Ilog.

According to the Pasig City government, the DPWH project began July 11 and is expected to continue until April 5, 2027.

Work is scheduled daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following day.

The city government previously warned that the project would affect traffic flow and advised motorists to consider alternative routes.

Undas travel preparations

The MMDA has deployed more than 2,000 personnel across Metro Manila to manage traffic and assist motorists near memorial parks as Filipinos observe All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2.

The agency is also implementing traffic rerouting schemes around major cemeteries and crowded areas.

In Quezon City, local authorities warned of heavier traffic near cemeteries and memorial parks from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 and advised motorists to use alternative routes.

Meanwhile, a moratorium on road excavation works across Metro Manila takes effect on November 1 and will last until Dececember 23, ahead of the Philippines' hosting of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and the Christmas season.

The moratorium covers road reblocking, pipe laying, road upgrading and other excavation activities that could disrupt traffic.

The DPWH's scheduled C5 rehabilitation work is continuing during the Undas break despite the broader excavation moratorium.