Repairs to last 330 days: Mandaue-Mactan Bridge one lane only next week

CEBU, Philippines - Though the project may cause further traffic congestion, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes has given his blessing for the repair of the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, which is set to start after the Lapu-Lapu City fiesta this week.

“Mayor already wants (the Department of Public Works and Highways) to go ahead with the first bridge repair ASAP as it is for maintenance and it is vital,” said City Planning and Development Coordinator Florentino Nimor, in a press conference yesterday.

The P129.6-million bridge repair, to be undertaken by contractor JEGMA Construction, was supposed to start last August but it was suspended due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings that month.

The budget includes funds for the rehabilitation of the structure and the roads leading to it, right-of-way acquisition of the access road at the Mandaue City side, removal of trees, and clearing of illegal structures under the bridge.

Glen Antigua, Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) chief of operations, said one of the two lanes of the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic, and only those coming from Lapu-Lapu City can use it in the morning.

He said they are thinking of a 6 a.m. to12 p.m. access for those going to mainland Cebu from Mactan island and vice-versa from 12 p.m. until nighttime.  The project is expected to be completed in 330 days.

Antigua, though, said they would have to wait for DPWH when it would allow JEGMA to start the rehabilitation, which he said would be within this month.

He said they are prioritizing those coming and going from Lapu-Lapu as there are many students there who are studying in the mainland.

Aside from installation of traffic signboards, traffic personnel will be deployed on both ends of the bridge to signal motorists when to start using the first bridge and when not to so they would proceed to the Marcel B. Fernan Bridge instead.  (FREEMAN)