Banilad bizmen fail to convince Tom to oppose flyover project

Owners of business establishments in the Banilad area yesterday failed to convince Mayor Tomas Osmeña to oppose the planned construction of a P125-million flyover there.

About 30 businessmen operating in said area, who claimed that their operations would surely be affected once the construction of the flyover will start, trooped to the City Hall yesterday to air their sentiments to the mayor.

One of their sentiments is that once the construcion of the 590-meter-long flyover formally starts, vehicles are no longer allowed to pass the vicinity of corner Gov. Mariano Cuenco Avenue and A. Fortuna Street.

The businessmen whose establishments are located within the vicinity of the flyover project are "expecting to suffer huge losses because of the construction works that may last to almost a year."

Earlier, city planning officer Nigel Paul Villarete suggested that the road within the vicinity of the flyover project would be widened first before the start of the construction of the more than half-a-kilometer-long flyover.

DPWH plans to reroute the vehicles bound for Cebu City from barangay Talamban to take the Canduman Road in Mandaue City. Vehicles are then to turn right and pass Hernan Cortes Avenue, then to Kasambagan, then to turn right once these reach Juan Luna Avenue, and then to turn left to Archbishop Reyes Avenue.

Osmeña said that expanding the road within the vicinity of the flyover project is a wise move, but the city has no plan of allocating a budget for the purchase of the private-owned lots which will be affected should roads be widened.

The mayor also informed the businessmen that another project to be undertaken in Banilad is the expansion of the road leading to Maria Luisa Park because this will serve as entrance/exit of the Hillside Circumferential Road passing the hills of barangays Apas, Kalunasan, Banawa, Guadalupe, and Labangon to barangay Quiot.

The DPWH officials expect that the traffic congestion in Banilad area would be solved by 70 percent once the construction of the flyover would be completed. - Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV