BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit (ICTMU) will implement a traffic rerouting on Friday, Jan. 12, due to the Dinagyang Festival opening salvo.
According to ICTMU chief Uldarico Garbanzos, this rerouting would be an expansion of the one conducted on Jan. 5 during the “Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan” opening salvo.
Friday’s traffic rerouting would cover additional streets due to the placement of judging areas on Mabini, Delgado and Quezon-Ledesma streets in the City Proper.
Commuters are advised to expect significant traffic congestion, especially since Jan. 12 falls on a Friday, a peak time for outbound vehicles.
To accommodate opening salvo viewers downtown, there will be designated walkable areas and loading/unloading zones for public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the city.
Additionally, certain lanes and streets will remain open for private vehicles, though heavy traffic is expected.
Emergency lanes, including Muelle Loney, Laguda, the Esplanade, Esplanade 5 in La Paz, and Rizal Street in the southern part of Iloilo City, will be maintained and kept clear.
During the Dinagyang Festival highlights on Jan. 27 (Kasadyahan) and 28 (tribes competition), participating tribes will pass through four main judging areas: the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, the Provincial Capitol, Mabini-Delgado, and Quezon-Ledesma./PN
