For BRT project, Exec assured heritage sites will be protected

CEBU, Philippines - The World Bank’s Transport and ICT Practice Manager assured that the social and environmental points of view will be taken into consideration in the detailed engineering design of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project.

Michel Kerf of East and the Pacific World Bank said heritage areas will be protected in the implementation of the project and that the detailed engineering design will identify how the project would affect historical sites and trees along the planned BRT route.

It was earlier revealed that around 2,000 trees along the route of Cebu Bus Rapid Transit system may be affected once construction starts. When this happens, the Fuente Osmeña Circle, a historical site, will also be affected.

“We will try to optimize the design of the project and so as to maximize its benefits, and minimize its negative impact,” Kerf said.

The Department of Transportation and Communication is expected to award the detailed engineering design contract within the year.

The detailed engineering design, which will identify and quantify all the essential works needed for the implementation of the BRT construction and of the transport and procurement for construction services will last eight months while the actual project implementation will take at least two years to finish.

Kerf said the detailed engineering design will take at least six months to a year.

“This is why the next stage is very important because it is during this stage that the detailed design would be perused, that all issues will be looked into,” Kerf said.

He said it is a priority to implement the project while taking into consideration the lessons learned from other BRT systems in other parts of the world to avoid lapses.

The World Bank vowed to lend the Philippine government $116 million. The Cebu-BRT project costs the national government at least P10.6 billion and is expected to be operational by 2017.

The BRT corridor will be around 23 kilometers and will run from Barangay Bulacao in the southwestern end of the city to Barangay Talamban in the north. There will be 31 passenger interchange terminals including those in Talamban, Bulacao and Cebu Business Park.

The route will pass four intersections: Osmeña Boulevard/Colon Street, V. Rama Avenue/M. Velez Street, M.J. Cuenco Avenue/J. Luna Avenue; and Gorordo Avenue/Salinas Drive. Pocket lanes will be built in different locations in the city. – (FREEMAN)