Part of CBRT project: Skywalk removal finally proceeds

CEBU, Philippines — After months of suspension, the removal and transfer of two Cebu City skywalks that will be affected by the construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project have resumed.

This was according to a post by the CBRT Facebook page last Tuesday and confirmed by City Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the City Council committee of infrastructure.

He said the first skywalk that will be removed and transferred is the one near the Fuente Osmeña Circle, with the roofing already removed as of yesterday.

This, he said, is in line with the wishes of Mayor Michael Rama, who said earlier he wanted the skywalks transferred, not demolished.

Safety considerations prompted the contractor to further postpone the removal of the skywalks last January because of the Sinulog celebration.

“Dili sya demolition. Kana man gud naa pa man guy area nga pwede pa nato ma-recycle, magamit pa ba like ang roofing. That can be used pa. Then ang slab is pwede pa magamit,” Guardo said.

He said the removal of the structure needs to the done carefully so as not to destroy the parts. To ensure this, consultants were hired to supervise the safe removal and transport of the materials.

These consultants, he added, were from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and contractors who provided their expertise.

Guardo said they are studying the feasibility of transferring the skywalks to the South Road Properties, as requested by the mayor.

“That is also being subjected to audit sa COA (Commission on Audit). So, we have to keep safe sad sa mga debris nga usable pa siya,” the councilor said.

He, however, said that inasmuch as the intent is to save all the parts, the concrete stairs would have to be demolished.

For the pedestrian lane, Guardo reiterated the DOT’s instruction for an “upgraded pedestrian crossing” instead of the skywalks.

Guardo said removal of each skywalk would take up to three weeks and done one at a time.

“Kay they have to coordinate with CCTO if there is a need for the total closure while ongoing ang clearing operations sa mga contractors. Para safety lang sad sa mga pedestrians, including mga vehicles,” he said.

He also mentioned an ongoing “drainage enhancement” on both sides of Osmeña Boulevard starting from the Capitol that is hoped to mitigate flooding in the downtown area.

“Once this will be functional, ma-mitigate ug ma-minimize gyud ang runoff water padung sa Colon (St.). Ma-minimize gyud ang flooding,” Guardo said.

When asked for the factors that took the suspension of the removal and transfer long enough to resume, Guardo said they have to forego the civil works due to the Sinulog.

“We are so concerned sa safety ss mga walks, naapekehan sa demolition, gi make sure lang ss ni mayor na ang agianan from any debris,” said Guardo. — /RHM (FREEMAN)