To address traffic problem in Cebu: P60B projects pushed

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is supporting four major road projects amounting to almost P60 billion seen to solve the traffic problem in Metro Cebu.

Kenneth Cobonpue, chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-7, said he, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Mike Dino, and RDC-7 Infrastructure Committee chairman Glen Soco have endorsed the projects successfully to DPWH.

They met with DPWH Secretary Mark Villar the other day. DPWH Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations-Visayas Roberto Bernardo was also present in the meeting.

One of the four projects will be implemented in Cebu City, the V. Rama Avenue-Gorordo Avenue road opening, is expected to start in 2018.

Soco said that this two-kilometer road artery project has an estimated cost of P1billion. It is meant to decongest vehicle traffic along Escario Street.

Outside of Cebu City, two bypass road projects will be constructed in the north and the south.

In the north, the Mandaue-Consolacion-Liloan bypass road project is estimated to cost P25.5 billion, Soco said.

In a press statement released by Dino’s office, Cobonpue said the road will traverse the coastal area and connect to the new international port in Consolacion. It will connect to Zuellig Avenue where heavy trucks such as container vans and cargo forwarders are expected to pass, thus, decongest traffic in the city.

Meanwhile, in the south, the Talisay-Minglanilla-Naga coastal road project has an estimated cost of P15.5 billion,

Cobonpue said feasibility studies of the two road projects are being fast tracked so implementation can begin soon.

Cobonpue said the biggest item discussed during the meeting with the DPWH officials is the P27 billion Metro Cebu Bypass Expressway that will run from Naga City to Danao City.

This six-lane expressway, which will be implemented in three parts, will snake through the countryside with tunnel and overpass components.

The first to be implemented will be the Danao component, as this will reportedly be the simplest and fastest to construct.

Studies for all phases of the expressway project have been completed and are on the advanced stages of implementation.

Dino, for his part, said he will bring these projects to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte.

"I thank Cobonpue for were personally making sure that these projects are endorsed and implemented through the RDC-7’s young and dynamic leadership,” Dino said.

Dino said Villar told the group he hopes to see the projects completed while still in office.

Soco said the four road projects are among the 10 priority projects for Central Visayas approved by the RDC Full Council last month.

The other six infrastructure projects are the Metro Cebu Integrated Flood Control Drainage System; construction of a new building of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center; Mactan Road Network upgrade; widening of Hernan Cortes Road in Mandaue City; Feasibility Study of the Bohol-Cebu Friendship Bridge, Cebu-Negros Oriental Bridge and Bohol-Leyte Bridge, Tagbilaran-Panglao Bridge; Improvement of Cang-Alwang (Siquijor) airport; and Visayas Disaster Response Center.

Soco said only the four big projects are being prioritized because these are implementable in a short and medium term.  (FREEMAN)