As Glenn Soco hits Mandaue underpass project: Brace for more traffic - Osmeña

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña urged motorists and riding public to brace for more traffic as the city will be affected in the traffic congestion brought by the implementation of two major infrastructure projects.

Osmeña said traffic congestion is expected to worsen if infrastructure projects will not be implemented.

“Of course. That’s how inept the previous administration was. No big projects,” the mayor said.

Osmeña said slow moving traffic will be expected every implementation of infrastructure projects, citing the ongoing construction of an underpass along N. Bacalso as an example.

If the national government will not pursue implementing these projects, he said traffic will worsen in the future.

He recalled that he had two flyovers in JY Square Mall and along Gorordo Avenue but was blocked by the previous administration.

“In infrastructure design, atong tan-awn asa ang problema sa moabot nga tuig. Ang solution ana is…will take years. Do it now, when it becomes a big problem, naa na dinha,” he said.

Osmeña vowed to implement major infrastructure projects like flyovers and underpass next year.

He said the people should embrace developments to improve the traffic situation in Metro Cebu.

Osmeña also cited the implementation of P16.7-billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which is seen to partly address the traffic problem in the city.

As of now, he said the city is still acquiring lots affected in the implementation of the BRT project.

Soco on mandaue project

Glenn Soco, chairman of the Regional Development Council-7 Infrastructure Development Committee, said that while they welcome infrastructure projects for Cebu, there is a need to change the way things are done.

He added that the UN Avenue Tri-Level project in Mandaue City is pushing through without much or any consultation done with its stakeholders.

"While there is still time, let's extract everything up to the last drop of options to come up with the best solution for the Cebuanos," said Soco, in a statement.

The tri-level project consists of flyovers, interchanges and underpass.

Soco said that this has been a project which has been in the pipeline for several years and up to now there was no traffic management plan presented.

He said that they only found out during the last bridge board meeting that the traffic management plan will be done by the contractor who is set to start with the project anytime soon.

"Is the contractor capable to do and implement the traffic management plan? It has actually posed more questions than answers," Soco asked.

Soco added that they feel that Cebuanos will be made to sacrifice for something which they suspect could not solve anything.

He also said that they hope their comments will be taken constructively as we cannot afford that the UN Avenue intersection will have a similar experience with that of the Mambaling underpass project in Cebu City.

Earlier, the DPWH-7 has assured that the implementation of the project will not commence unless all issues are addressed and all design requirements are reviewed, deliberated and approved by them. (FREEMAN)