ANGELES, Philippines – An 18-hour traffic jam on MacArthur Highway in Angeles City, Pampanga, left many motorists, passengers, and commuters stranded and frustrated, and the local government acknowledged that the congestion reached unprecedented levels.

The Angeles City Traffic and Development Office (ACTDO) attributed the gridlock to a combination of road construction, accidents, and the holiday rush.

ACTDO data showed that 13 vehicular accidents and a fire were recorded between 7 am on Thursday, December 12, and 1 am the following day. The traffic jam was further worsened by the ongoing construction on the Abacan Bypass Road and a surge in vehicles due to the Christmas rush.

Angeles traffic jam
TRAFFIC JAM. Motorists, passengers, and commuters face major delays as an 18-hour traffic jam ties up MacArthur Highway in Angeles City on December 12, 2024. – Screenshot via Jantzen Canlas FB video

Angeles Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. deployed additional traffic and emergency personnel to address the bumper-to-bumper situation.

Jay Ong, 34, expressed his frustration after being stuck in traffic for three hours and 40 minutes while traveling the 20 to 25 kilometers from Clark to Angeles. 

Ong said such travel, under normal traffic conditions, typically takes only 30 to 40 minutes.

“It was terrible. But it’s not entirely the fault of the traffic enforcers. There’s still a lack of discipline among motorists, especially those on motorcycles,” Ong told Rappler on Friday, December 13.

One netizen, Jantzen Canlas, uploaded drone footage of the traffic situation at 4:30 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. on Thursday. They showed heavy congestion along the entire stretch of the MacArthur Highway heading toward Angeles City proper, from the Astro Park roundabout to the Santo Cristo roundabout, as vehicles packed the road.

Kiko Pangilinan (not the former senator), ACTDO officer-in-charge, said accidents along MacArthur Highway from Dau in Mabalacat City to the boundary of Angeles and San Fernando caused major delays from 7 am on Thursday to 1 am on Friday.

He said the SM malls in Clark and Telabastagan were also a factor, attracting many shoppers and contributing to the gridlock, especially around the city’s business district.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the heavy traffic. We expect traffic [jams] to continue as more events and shopping activities occur in the coming days,” Pangilinan said. 

He urged the public to be “patient, disciplined, and cooperative to help ease traffic flow.”

ACDTO earlier announced that several roads will be temporarily closed starting at 1 pm on Friday until Saturday, December 14, due to the Lubenas Ning Pasku event.

Affected areas include a portion of Santo Entierro (from Santo Rosario to the corner of Miranda Street), Nepomuceno Street (from the corner of Lakandula Street to the corner of Santo Entierro), as well as Lakandula Street, Miranda Street, Rizal Street, and Santo Rosario Street. The public is advised to expect heavy traffic in these areas and use alternative routes. 

Jay Pelayo IV, Mabalacat City information officer, took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the worsening traffic situation in the province. Pelayo said it took him two hours to travel from Clark Freeport to Diamond Subdivision in Balibago, Angeles City, with more than an hour spent stuck on MacArthur Highway.

Pelayo suggested creating a government agency similar to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to address the province’s growing traffic issues. – Rappler.com