For those planning to stay in the city and take advantage of the lessened traffic on the roads this holy week, you’ll have to note that the MRT3 will be closed. There will be no operations from Holy Monday, April 15, 2019, to Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019. It will start running again on April 22, 2019.
(Higher toll rates at NLEX are now in effect)
Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Libiran explains that the closing will be due to maintenance and rehabilitation work:
Due to the current degraded condition of MRT3, the 2019 Holy Week shutdown programmed maintenance activities that require longer suspension of operations. [Preventive maintenance and repair activities will be done] to improve the reliability of the system.
Some of the major works that will be done include the replacement of critical turnouts or switches, rail grinding, structural testing, and topographic survey and monitoring plan activities for MRT3 structures.
(The Philippines’ first ever subway line has just begun construction)
It would be good to start figuring out alternate commute routes for those who mainly rely on the MRT3 line to get around. Hopefully, the thinned crowds during Holy Week means the difficulty of commuting in Metro Manila will not be badly exacerbated by this.
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