Horizons 101 developer recommends skywalk construction

CEBU, Philippines - While Mayor Michael Rama is planning to remove unused skywalks in Cebu City, Taft Property, who owns the Horizons 101 Condominium Project along General Maxilom Avenue, has recommended for the construction of a skywalk fronting their project to help ease traffic.

Engr. Severino Gonzales Jr. the general manager of Taft Property said the uncontrolled pedestrian movements crossing General Maxilom Avenue will impede vehicular movement that is why they believe that the installation of a pedestrian overpass will solve the problem.

Taft Property officials hired a local transport and traffic consultancy firm to conduct a Traffic Impact Study for the proposed Horizons 101 Condominium Project which recently figured in a controversy after the retaining wall of its foundation collapsed.

The study has evaluated the impact of the said development project on the traffic condition along the roads surrounding the area and has recommended traffic management measures to address potential traffic problems that may result due to the development in that place.

Gonzales explained that the traffic surveys were conducted to generate data about the traffic volume count, passenger load surveys, road inventory, inventory of the existing traffic management facilities and traffic transport routes serving the area.

The consultancy firm had recommended that to mitigate traffic congestion problems along General Maxilom Avenue, particularly along the area fronting the development site, Taft Property will provide nine-meter easements inside their property to accommodate the vehicular flow of their clients.

Another reason why the Taft Property will provide such easement is to provide loading and unloading area for public transport and private vehicles, instead of allowing them to stop beside the road.

“Based on the results and the recommendations, we believe that potential traffic problems that may be caused by the development will be minimized,” said Gonzales.

For his part, the mayor said he will have the recommendation of Taft Property to be studied first by the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) and some other traffic experts.  (FREEMAN)