Construction of Banilad flyover starts tomorrow

Construction of the 390-meter long Banilad flyover will start tomorrow despite the failure and the cancellation of the odd-even traffic scheme in that area, and the request of the city council to postpone the project. 

Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday said he disagreed with suggestions to defer further the construction schedule, especially after the council unanimously agreed to ask the Department of Works and Highways to consider postponement of the project to another month.

“I don’t intend to postpone, we just have to go through with it. There have already been too many postponements and cancellations. I know it’s not going to be easy but I’m getting weary already. We have to get started or else we won’t finish it,” Osmeña said.

The council contended that, when postponed, the DPWH and the City Traffic Operations Management can use the 30-day period to think of other means to ease traffic congestion during the construction of the flyover, which stretches from near the Banilad Town Center up to the Llama Construction Building along Gov. Mariano Cuenco Avenue.

“The one that will be introduced is a man-made hardship. Those that would be affected are human beings. For me, public service is preparing intellectually, religiously, and conscientiously,” said Vice Mayor Michael Rama in a privilege speech at the council.

Rama belied allegations that the council had spoiled the first day of the odd-even traffic scheme dry run because it was conducted at exactly the same time the council conducted the public hearing with stakeholders last Monday afternoon.

Osmeña, who has set the construction date with DPWH, CITOM, and Representative Raul De Mar, said postponing would not necessarily address this concern of the council.

After the second dry-run, the “real” traffic situation surfaced. This led CITOM executive officer Arnel Tancinco to conclude that with other options running out and the lack of alternative routes, the only choice would be proper segregation of vehicles. 

Del Mar, the main proponent of the project, said he trusted that CITOM is ready for the anticipated traffic problems, and he also shared Osmeña’s sentiment over the protracted delay of the project and the need to carry it now. 

CITOM officially canceled the odd-even scheme and the rerouting plan along Gov. Cuenco Avenue once the construction starts. It will implement instead starting tomorrow the “no left turn” rule at all corners of this major road, starting from Gaisano Countrymall to Foodland. There will also be a “no stopping” zone, between Paradise Village and Banilad barangay hall.

CITOM, in its board meeting yesterday, unanimously approved the motion of Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem to cancel the planned odd-even traffic scheme. Tancinco admitted that the two-hour dry run the other day only resulted in more problems due to traffic congestion in the surrounding areas.

A major stumbling block to the flyover’s construction has been the drastic increase in the zonal valuation by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, resulting in the need for P50 million more to purchase the road right-of-way of affected properties. The project would need 4,200 square meters for road right-of-way alone, and the original budget of P126.5 million is not enough already.

Just this week, however, the two houses of Congress had approved the report of the bicameral conference committee on the 2008 national budget with amendments, among which is the additional P50 million for the flyover.  — Joeberth M. Ocao, Wenna A. Berondo and Flor Z. Perolina/RAE