The Makati Central Estate Association (MACEA), together with Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) and the Makati LGU officially opened the Paseo de Roxas-Villar Underpass. The inauguration was led by MACEA General Manager Jonathan David, Ayala Land Estates Group Head Meean Dy, Mayor Abby Binay, and Ayala Land Estates Makati Head Mel Ignacio.
The Paseo de Roxas-Villar Underpass connects the northern portion of Ayala Triangle Gardens (where the iconic Tower Two is located) to Salcedo Village. The name is derived from the streets at each endpoint of the underpass—Paseo de Roxas on the side of Ayala Triangle and Villar Street on the opposite end.
Construction of the underpass began in 2019. With the completion of the underpass, pedestrians can now enjoy a safer and more comfortable walking experience while crossing Paseo de Roxas while allowing for improved vehicular traffic along the main road. It also provides another access point to Ayala Triangle Gardens so that people who work in Salcedo Village can easily walk to this urban oasis for a mid-day break.
Makati continues to be known as a pedestrian-friendly city with its network of underpasses and walkways. These infrastructures allow for greater pedestrian mobility which makes it an ideal “15-minute city” where one can easily access a variety of establishments—supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, schools, offices—within a 15-minute walk.
Among the construction of eye-catching structures and open spaces, the creation of walkways and other pedestrian-friendly infrastructure was a major part of the city’s revitalization plan to provide accessibility to the community and create a safer and enhanced walking experience.
“The underpass is just another part of the series of projects to make Makati City a walkable city,” Binay stated. “So rest assured that on behalf of the local government of Makati, we are one with the vision of Ayala Land to make Makati a beautiful, walkable, peaceful, and safe city that everybody would want to live in.“
“During this time, when everything seems to be at a standstill because of the pandemic, we chose to move, to give our citizens the best, despite the current situation,” David said.
The Paseo-Villar underpass is just one of the revitalization projects that will be completed in the Makati Central Business District within the next few months. The redevelopment planning began in 2012 to ensure that Makati continues to serve the ever-evolving needs of its residents, office workers, locators, and other stakeholders. Makati has always been known to be the center of business, lifestyle, arts, and culture, and this will further be strengthened upon the completion of the revitalization program. Project completions include the iconic Tower Two and more civic spaces at Ayala Triangle Gardens, a world-class performing arts theater, several mobility programs which include bike lanes, and the redevelopment of Jaime Velasquez Park.
