Work on Maguikay flyover suspended

CEBU, Philippines - The Sixth Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 announced they have suspended retrofitting procedures for the Maguikay flyover in Mandaue City last week.

Engineer Renault Ricardo, assistant district engineer, said they have deferred the works after finding out it has added to the traffic congestion on roads leading to the northern part of Cebu.

Ricardo explained the works at the flyover was simultaneously done with the rehabilitation and drainage improvement along M.L Quezon Street, still in Barangay Maguikay, that is why it brought a heavy traffic in the area.

He said that the Maguikay flyover retrofitting and repair, whose budget amounts to P17.6 million for a working period of 190 days, will resume once the work at M.L Quezon Street is 90 percent done.

The working period of M.L Quezon street is 360 calendar days.

Meanwhile , the agency also continues to  urged the public to bear with the traffic situation in Mandaue City.

Engineer Myrna dela Cerna, project engineer, said they have been upgrading most of the pavements in the city's roads.

"Daghan ang moreklamo nga nagsige lang mi og pangguba sa dan bisan og maayo pa, apan ang mga existing pavements dili na makakaya sa load sa mga sakyanan busa nag-usab ta sa atong mga dan. Gikan sa asphalt, sagad karon sa siyudad gisemento na," Dela Cerna said.

From the existing thickness of 20 inches, city roads will be upgraded to 28 inches thick once the improvement is fully implemented, she added.

The usual 24 inches in diameter culverts for drainage have also been replaced with 48 inches and in Barangay Basak, where a national highway and a public school are located, culverts have been replaced with 60 inches in diameter to finally solve flooding in the area.

"Please bear with the traffic this is just a short-term inconvenience which will eventually become a long-term convenience," Dela Cerna added.  (FREEMAN)