Mandaue gets P326M infra projects

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways-7 has earmarked P326.4 million in infrastructure projects for Mandaue City.

Since 15 of these projects are road concreting and repair, the public will have to brace for congested streets when they are started.

According to the record released by the Cebu 6th Engineering Office, of the 62 projects it has lined up for its district, 38 are for Mandaue City.

One of these projects is the continuation of the Mactan Circumferential Road with a budget of P25 million.

The rehabilitation works for UN Avenue in Mandaue City to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which will start next year, has been allotted a budget of P15 million.

The dredging of Butuanon River with development of the flood control system there has also been allotted P49 million. Similar amount has been set aside for the improvement of the flood system structure in Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

Minor road repairs in Barangays Tipolo, Jagobiao, Tingub, Alang-Alang, Bakilid and Casuntingan are also in the list.

Meanwhile, the road concreting on Ouano Avenue (from Plaridel to Soriano Streets) may be started next year if the DPWH will postpone the project to March as requested by the city government.

The said project was supposed to start early this month but due to the heavy traffic, it was stalled.

Mayor Jonas Cortes had appealed to DPWH to give them time to study the effects of closing these streets while the project is ongoing.

Following a meeting with his department head, Cortes is not giving a go signal to the project yet especially that the holidays are coming.

The holidays usually prompt a surge in the volume of vehicles. If the city will close a portion of Ouano Avenue to give way to the project, it will only result to more traffic, said City Planning and Development Coordinator Florentino Nimor.

Also, the city is expecting some of its roads to swell with vehicles during the Sinulog and Cebu's hosting of the International Eucharistic Congress in January.

This is why the city's traffic management has asked the DPWH to delay this particular project until March. (FREEMAN)