Arroyo opens SRP subway

CEBU, Philippines - The tunnel section of the Cebu South Coastal Road Project was finally inaugurated though it will not be completely open to public yet until August.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came here yesterday to inaugurate the subway that cost the national government P1.2 billion using funds acquired through a loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Present during the inauguration and soft opening of the tunnel were Arroyo, Cebu City Mayor-elect Mike Rama, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Kajima Corporation.

The activity was marked by the unveiling of the marker located right at the entrance of the tunnel going to the South Road Properties.

Prior to this, Arroyo was able to inspect the whole stretch of the 610-meter twin box tunnel, which is already complete structure-wise.

However, there are minor, but vital details such as the lighting system, the pumping system and the control center that still need to be finished for the tunnel to be completely passable for all types of vehicles.

For the mean time, it will be open starting June 14, from Mondays to Fridays at certain time schedules when traffic in the South is expected to be worse.

It will be open during hours when students and workers will be on their way to schools and offices that is 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and during hours when students and most workers go home from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The tunnel will be closed on weekends until such time everything has been completed.

By August, the tunnel shall be open all day to all types of vehicles.

Arroyo congratulated the city government which conceptualized the project and also the Japanese government which provided the funding.

She also thanked the construction workers, in fact, interviewed one of them.

Rico Pocolan, one of the construction workers who worked for the completion of the tunnel since it started on August 2008, said that the project has benefited his family through the job it has given and also through the convenience in traffic flow that it shall later provide.

Another beneficiary of the project, Dino Carale, a delivery man of an agriculture products supplier, told Arroyo that the subway made easy and faster their delivery of farm products to their clients.

Arroyo, during her speech, said that the subway would hopefully bring economic progress to the city as it is set to reduce traffic in the central business district by over 40 percent.

Katsura meanwhile promised to support the Philippine government and its future endeavors in terms of infrastructure development.

He reiterated Japan’s commitment to assist the Philippines in its nation building effort.

The 3B-2 subway or the tunnel section of the CSCRP stretches 0.97 kilometers long consisting of the 610-meter twin box tunnel and the 360-meter reinforced concrete retaining structure.

The tunnel consists of four lanes — two in both directions — with an automatic pumping and lighting system and complete with safety features.

It connects the viaduct before the South Road Properties (SRP) to Sergio Osmeña Blvd. and lies underneath the Plaza Independencia.

It is the first kind in the whole country and will be maintained by the DPWH-7 after the one year warranty period where Kajima Corp will stay and will be assisting in the operations of the tunnel while training DPWH personnel who will take over the tunnel maintenance and management.

Dismayed

Many students and teachers from different public schools in Cebu City were dismayed after President Arroyo cancelled her scheduled visit to the Zapatera Elementary School yesterday afternoon.

Some 30 students even did not eat their lunch on time because they were so busy practicing their cultural presentation for the president.

“Nagkapoy-kapoy lang mi sa among pag-practice. Wala pa man mi’y klase gipaari g’yud mi aron mopresent og sayaw sa Presidente,” said one of the students.

Arroyo was supposed to inspect the construction of a P13.2 million four-storey 16-classroom building at the Zapatera Elementary School that is funded by the Cebu City government through the Special Education fund.

Speaking on behalf of President Arroyo, DepEd Secretary Mona Valisno thanked the Cebu City officials for their big help by providing the funds for the construction of the school building.

Education consultant and Vice Mayor-elect Joy Augustus Young said the construction of the building started last January and is scheduled to be completed on July because it is already 60 percent done. — with Rene U. Borromeo/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)