THE Cebu City Council yesterday asked for another postponement of the Banilad flyover’s construction, which is scheduled to start tomorrow.
Councilors are asking for one to two months postponement or until the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) finishes appropriating the 21 lots for the road and Mahiga Bridge expansion.
The City Council also organized a committee composed of several city councilors who will, as one of its functions, help stakeholders prepare for the construction.
A DPWH official, however, said construction could no longer be stopped.
The City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) board, meanwhile, decided to cancel the public utility vehicle (PUV) rerouting and odd-even scheme for taxis and private vehicles at the Banilad-Talamban area.
The board decision yesterday came after Citom saw that the twin traffic mitigation measures just confused motorists and commuters and the detour roads were found to be inadequate to accommodate vehicles diverted from the construction site.
This was the assessment reached after the odd-even scheme’s implementation from 2 p.m. To 3 p.m. Last Monday and Tuesday.
The 390-meter, P89.6-million flyover will span Gov. Mariano Cuenco Ave from from the J. Panis St./Mahiga Bridge (across Gaisano Country Mall) junction and beyond the A.S. Fortuna St. intersection.
Citom will instead enforce a “no left turn” policy and will strictly implement a “no fault zone,” specifically at the construction area.
In it’s regular session yesterday, the City Council approved Vice Mayor Michael Rama’s resolutions, made during a privilege speech, for them to request the DPWH to consider putting off the construction and for it to consider the views raised by concerned residents and businesses in last Monday’s public hearing.
During that hearing, the need to purchase commercial lots on both sides of Gov. Cuenco, right by the construction site, for the creation of additional lanes was highlighted.
Rama again reiterated the need to purchase lots. He said this is already possible with the successful insertion of over P50 million in the country’s 2008 budget for the DPWH’s allocation during the Senate and the House of Representative’s bicameral conference committee hearing this week.
Granting the postponement, however, is in the hands of DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, whom Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district) asked last year to put off construction from Nov. 2007 to Feb. 1, 2008.
Ebdane gave in to the request because businessmen, who will suffer during the construction, wanted to take advantage of the increase in the number of shoppers during the Christmas season and the Sinulog festival.
But yesterday, in a radio dyLA interview, DPWH 7 Legal Counsel Agustinito Hermoso said construction could no longer be stopped.
He said the notice to proceed was already sent to the contractor, who will also suffer if its postponed again, due to the increasing prices of materials.
Besides, he said, it would already be a breach of contract if it will be postponed again.
“Wala na man tay mahimo ana, nagdagan na man gud ang contract time ana kay naa na man silay specific period nga matiman ang project (We can’t do anything about it because the contract time is already running because they are given a specific period to finish the project),” Hermoso said.
He said building the flyover now or two months from now would entail the same inconvenience.
In an interview, City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said the Citom board approved his motion to scrap the odd-even scheme and the PUJ rerouting after last Tuesday’s traffic mess.
Gridlocks and slow moving traffic were experienced not only in the Banilad-Talamban area but also along Salinas Drive in Lahug, Juan Luna Ave. and F. Cabahug St. in Mabolo, and Herna Cortes St. in Mandaue City.
“Citom will implement the no left turns and other measures to provide unrestricted flow on the remaining two lanes at the construction site,” Jakosalem said.
It was initially agreed that U-turn slots will be provided “where there is less traffic” for right-turning vehicles (who could not make a left turn) meters before the construction site.
But, Jakosalem said, it was later decided that left turns will be allowed from both A.S. Fortuna and Ma. Luisa Subdivision to the Country Mall.
The plan, though, will still be finalized, he added.
Citom Executive Officer Arnel Tancinco said motorists and commuters failed to grasp the odd-even scheme.
Most, though, simply refused to acknowledge its need, as gleaned from traffic enforcers’ reports of motorists scolding them during the experimentation last Monday and Tuesday.
“Kaning attitude nato to refuse to adopt to changes. So we decided to just provide the necessary information through warning signs before the construction site,” he said.
He said vehicles could not make a left turn for the Banilad Town Centre, the Country Mall, J. Panis, and even the current El Dorado Subdivision exit will not be allowed.
He said that if owners of the Cebu Memorial Park (Cempark) will open its road, it will be a big help since motorists will no longer have to pass through the construction site.
Instead, they could use J. Panis and exit to A.S. Fortuna and even cross to to M. L. Quezon Ave. in Cabancalan, Mandaue.
“Hesitant lang kuno ang corporate board kay naa man gud silay contract of serenity sa mga patay. That is the same with other private cemeteries. I-refer pa daw nila sa ilang legal kung dili ba sila vulnerable to lawsuits sa ilang clients kung ablihan ang dalan for the publice,” Tancinco said.
“So ang atong advise, avoid the Foodland vicinity (where the flyover construction will be), and expect heavier traffic,” he added.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier said that if Citoms see the dire need, he could invoke the Local Government Code’s general welfare code and force open Cempark’s road. (RHM)
[ Published by : Sunstar.com.ph ]
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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