Bridge repair, road projects DPWH-7 set to implement one-way traffic in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways-7 yesterday announced that it will implement a one-way vehicular traffic at the old Mactan Bridge and at Ouano Avenue to implement simultaneous infrastructure repairs in these areas.

This prompted Mandaue City’s Planning and Development coordinator Florentino Nimor, in a press conference yesterday, to appeal to DPWH-7 information officer  Marie Nillama, to defer the projects until after the Sinulog Festival so that the city could test if its alternative traffic plan will work against traffic congestion.

Nillama, who was at the conference, however, was not certain if the DPWH-7 could postpone the works considering that the repair at the Mactan Bridge was already postponed from its August schedule to September due to the APEC meetings. The bridge repair project needed 330 calendar days to finish, she said.

On the other hand, the Ouano Avenue road concreting project was scheduled to commence last November 4 because the DPWH-7 has other batch of road projects in Mandaue by next year, Nillama said. If the Ouano project is deferred, other projects next year will be affected

Nimor, for his part, said the city was already bound to implement the proposed bike lane along S.B. Cabahug Street by the end of this month, but this area will not be affected by the DPWH-7 plans, except for the connecting roads from here.

However, the Ouano Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic when the road concreting starts, said Nimor, and that the city will have to find alternative routes to avoid heavy build up of vehicles. The same scenario is also “expected” to happen in major thoroughfares, such as in Plaridel Street, he said.

Mayor Jonas Cortes, who was in Manila for the Expo Mandaue event, has reportedly asked the DPWH-7 to delay the implementation of the concreting project at Ouano Avenue, and give him time to discuss matters with other officials.

The Ouano Avenue road concreting is a P50-million project to be undertaken by contractor, PB Obial Construction, and is expected to be completed in 10 months from now. The Mactan Bridge I repair, on the other hand, costing P129.6 million, will be undertaken by JEGMA Construction.

Glen Antigua, chief of operations of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, said only one of the two lanes of the bridge will be opened to vehicular traffic to allow the repair works, meaning that the area will become a one-way traffic.

Antigua said that, based on initial plans, the lane will be opened in the morning for those coming from Lapu-Lapu City to the mainland, and during rush hours in the afternoon for those going to Lapu-Lapu City.

Nillama said DPWH-7 will be posting signage to inform the public of this new rerouting scheme in the area.

The repairs would include rehabilitation of the road on the bridge and the annex in Mandaue, road right of away acquisition on the access road at the Mandaue area, removal of trees, repair of damaged deck slabs on the bridge, and clearing of illegal structures under the bridge, among others, she said. —/RAE (FREEMAN)