Mandaue-Mactan Bridge to be closed for survey

CEBU, Philippines – From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on July 19, the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be closed to public in order to allow survey and mapping activities in the area.

Environment Undersecretary Diony Ventura, who is also National Mapping and Resource Information Authority administrator, said that bridge closure is required to minimize vibrations during their survey.

In yesterday’s meeting with Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board at the old Capitol Social Hall, Ventura said they intend to implement the bridge closure from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. as these are off-peak hours.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia will not oppose to NAMRIA’s request provided that information on the planned closure will be properly disseminated to prevent complaints from the bridge users.

Garcia said the MCBMB was bombarded with complaints when DPWH temporarily closed the bridge in December 2008 for maintenance works and re-asphalting.

Ventura wrote Garcia, chairwoman of the MCBMB, on May 28 to seek the bridge board’s permission on the needed bridge closure.

A NAMRIA representative was also asked to appear during the MCBMB monthly meeting to personally bring their concern to members of the bridge board.

Ventura said in his letter that their contractor Pintor Surveying and Realty was commissioned to conduct to perform a geodetic leveling survey.

“The project will establish first order benchmarks which will serve as references for elevations in surveying and mapping activities in the Cebu Province,” the letter read.

Ventura said that the NAMRIA “requires that a level line be run across the Cebu Strait, through the Mactan Bridge to connect the benchmarks in Cebu and Mactan Islands”.

“During the leveling survey, it is required that the bridge be closed to traffic to minimize vibrations of the roadway in order to achieve the required accuracy,” said his letter.

The bridge board officials requested Cebu Ports Authority general manager Angelo Verdan to be present during their next meeting scheduled on August 20.

This after a CPA representative told the bridge board of the request of a private corporation to put up a breasting dolphin along the channel near the Petron depot.

A breasting dolphin refers to a pile or other structures against which a moored ship rests.

“MCBMB wishes to know CPA’s policy on the construction of additional structures at the Mactan Channel,” Garcia said.

She also said she wanted to know how structures such as this may affect the flow of water along the channel.

Two ships have rammed the columns of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge. Their operators blamed strong currents caused by the constriction of the channel.

The CPA representative told Garcia that he was not in the position to address her query but he assured the governor that he will bring the matter to Verdan’s attention.