Architect: Flyovers "affect social fiber"

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from adverse environmental effects, building flyovers would lead to a “deterioration of the social fiber” of communities surrounding the infrastructure, according to Omar Maxwell Espina, former dean of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts in the University of San Carlos (USC).

Espina was speaker in yesterday’s forum “Environmental Stewardship, Kalikopan Bantayan Panalipdan” sponsored by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP). The forum at the Marcelo B. Fernan Cebu Press Center was the first of a series in line with the celebration of the Press Freedom Week.

The issue on building flyovers has since divided various sectors in Cebu City. Former congressman of Cebu City North Raul del Mar proposed a network of seven flyovers in his district. Apart from the one in Gorordo Ave., another two-lane flyover is set to rise in Juan Luna Avenue and MJ Cuenco Avenue.

“These politicians don’t understand the importance of cohesiveness of the (affected) neighborhood,” said Espina yesterday.

He said the proposed flyover in Gorordo Avenue will divide those living at the opposite sides of the road, thereby causing the “social fiber” in the area to deteriorate. He said those who are in the Medalla Milagrosa Parish can now easily access the establishments across the Church but this would no longer be the case once the flyover would be erected in the area.

 He said there are better solutions to the traffic problem in the city, but there is lack of planning and those in the government “easily jumped to what they believe could address the issue, without anticipating the adverse effects.”

For the architect, if the flyover network would finally rise, it is expected that air pollution would also worsen especially that the areas where these new flyovers would be erected would be in close proximity with one another. This, he explained, would mean more vehicles would converge in the same area once this gets implemented.

 Espina said that one factor that attributed to the traffic congestion is the government’s failure to classify the roads. He said all these roads - national, provincial, local and barangay - are “intercepting with each other,” thereby causing traffic.

 He said this problem can be corrected by building “arterial roads,” or those that can accommodate huge volume of traffic in areas like the Gorordo Avenue.

He said the city’s current situation can only be solved by “exact planning.” JPM  (FREEMAN)