In Mandaue City: Traffic to worsen

CEBU, Philippines - Traffic in Mandaue City may just get even worse with the implementation of two major road projects this year.

The repair of Ouano Avenue (A.C. Cortes to the Mandaue City Sports Complex) will start today while repair of the Mandaue – Mactan Bridge will start on Monday, February 8. 

Repair of Ouano Avenue is expected to end by July while the rehabilitation of the bridge is expected to finish by December.

“It’s about time to implement these projects without further delay. There will be an impact on our traffic but we will try our best to minimize the impact. If we further delay on this, mas lalong hahaba ang agony natin,” said Ador Canlas, director of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7.

Canlas said the projects were supposed to commence last August 15 but had to be put on hold because of the ministerial meetings of the APEC Summit last year, the Sinulog and the International Eucharistic Congress last month.

DPWH said the roads will only be closed partially.

Ouano avenue

Those who take Ouano Avenue on a regular basis are advised to take these alternative routes:

1) Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge – UN Avenue (Pacific Mall) – Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf Road – Mabolo

2) Serging Osmeña Boulevard – Logarta – Cebu Hagnaya Wharf Road – UN Avenue (Pacific Mall) – Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge

3) Mabolo – Cebu North Hagnaya Wharf Road – U.N. Avenue (Pacific Mall) – Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge

     Canlas said the P50 million road project is expected to be finished by July if workers work on a single shift. If they work on two shifts, the project may be finished by May.

The project will concentrate on removal of existing dilapidated asphalt pavement, which will be replaced with concrete, and fixing of drainage facilities – reconditioning of manholes, repair of inlets and replacement of manhole covers.

Bridge

One lane will be opened at the Mandaue – Mactan Bridge but the public is advised to take the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

Just like that in Ouano Avenue, work at the bridge may be finished faster – approximately in July – if workers will work in two shifts.

Canlas said the bridge is already 70 years old and cracks and steel bars are already showing.

Work will include removing damaged deck slabs and asphalt, reinforcing steel bars, coating epoxy on cracks, proofing the deck slab and sidewalk, injecting epoxy into concrete cracks, applying special anti-corrosion paint, replacing expansion joints, and replacing drain pipes.

DPWH-7 chief legal officer Brando Ray Raya said those living under the bridge would have to be moved as the rehabilitation work will be dangerous to their safety.

He said it is up to the Mandaue City government to act on this aspect, but reminded that illegal settlers are not entitled to compensation or relocation.

Canlas said the two repair projects are funded under the 2015 General Appropriation Act and should be finished soon, as projects for 2016 would commence soon.

For this year, Region VII has a total of P16.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects, of which P9 billion is earmarked for Cebu.

The amount is higher by P4.9 billion than last year’s P12 billion allocation.

No left turn

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Mandaue is set to implement a dry run of a “No Left Turn” policy in three of its major streets – the Sudlon Highway in Barangay Maguikay, Jaime Street in Barangay Paknaan, and Suico Street in Barangay Tabok.

 City Planning and Development Officer Florentino Nimor said the City Council has approved the move.

Nimor said they decided to implement the policy because vehicles turning left to these streets are causing “traffic friction” against those traversing the three streets.

Once a system is in place, the dry run will be implemented daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Nimor said the vehicles that will be affected can take alternate routes near the three roads or make a U-turn at nearby gasoline stations.

Vehicles coming from Paknaan will be made to use the Cansaga Road. Those that can’t turn left to Suico Street can make a U-turn ahead.

 Last month, the City Council approved the 60-day dry run through a resolution. The author of the resolution, Councilor Elstone Dabon, said the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) will assess the dry run afterwards and recommend whether or not the move should be made permanent.  

 “Magsugod ang countdown sa 60 days when they start implementing it then they will render a report if padayun ba or dili,” he said.

Zipper lane

 Still in Mandaue, TEAM Operations Manager Glenn Antigua said opening of an experimental “zipper lane” at the Butuanon Bridge near the Pacific Mall yesterday was successful.

The volume of vehicles coming from northern Cebu often congest the area at around 11 a.m. but the experimental zipper lane reportedly helped ease traffic as early as 8:30 a.m.

 “This solution, ato rang gipili, naa say ma-disadvantage. If we do nothing, ang tanan magsakripisyo. Anyway, this is to allow smooth traffic on major roads,” he said.

 Zipper lanes are used to decongested roads in other countries, including South Korea where Antigua and Joy Tumulak of the Cebu City Traffic Operations observed its operation./JMO (BANAT NEWS)