Mandaue-Mactan Bridge closes for 2 hours today

CEBU, Philippines – The Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be closed to traffic today, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., to facilitate the conduct of a first order geodetic leveling survey in the area.

 The Mandaue-Cebu Bridge Management Board approved the request of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) to close the bridge temporarily for the activity.

“We hope that everyone concerned will bear with us this temporary inconvenience for the realization of this project for the benefit of the public,” the bridge management board said in its media advisory.

The project, according Environment Undersecretary and NAMRIA administrator Diony Ventura, will establish first order benchmarks that will serve as references for elevations in surveying and mapping activities in the Cebu Province.

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 Ventura.

The closure is required to minimize vibrations during their survey.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, chairperson of the MCBMB, did 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 on May 28 to seek the bridge board’s permission on the needed closure of the structure. — Garry B. Lao/WAB (THE FREEMAN)