2nd Mambaling flyover rejected

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Planning and Development Office rejected the proposal of the Department of Public Works and Highways for another flyover in barangay Mambaling going to the South Road Properties.

This second flyover was to be constructed on top of the ongoing flyover construction in Mambaling instead of altering the design of the ongoing construction which was earlier requested by the city in order to match it with the city’s future plan for the Bus Rapid Transit.

City Planning and Development coordinator Nigel Paul Villarete said that he has already talked with the DPWH officials and told them that the city is not inclined to support the idea.

“Basically I’m not in favor of any flyover at all in the city, unless it is absolutely necessary. I am more in traffic improvement by shifting to public mass transportation rather than introducing overhead structures in the city,” he said.

Villarete said that an overhead structure in the city, especially that one in Mambaling is “poor in aesthetics”, “bad enough for the health” and “bad enough for the environment.”

“One only has to visit cities like Beijing and Guangzhou or even here in Manila to see how bad it looks. You go to the intersection in Ortigas and stay underneath. If you will not feel suffocated, if you will not feel dizzy, if your nose will not be blackened by smoke and you cannot see sky anymore,” he said.

The DPWH earlier said that they are willing to include in their 2011 budget proposal a P100 million budget for the construction of another flyover.

But Villarete said that another flyover is not viable for the BRT so the P100 million is better spent on improving the ground level access and mobility.

“That means that for us, it will be much better if we widen that area at ground level and introduce signalization. It might entail land acquisition but all development entails land acquisition to a certain extent,” he said.

Villarete said other roads that they wish to be widened are T. Padilla, Tagunol, and E. Sabellano. These are access points towards the south which will improve the traffic in the area.

“If we improve these thoroughfares, it will greatly alleviate the traffic situation going to the south,” he said.   (FREEMAN NEWS)