The controversial Plaridel Street-UN Avenue junction - I

This is a reiteration of a previous column, and also a recap of the resolution en masse of the City Mayor’s council of elders. The latter had strongly recommended that Mandauehanons as well, be allowed to pass and utilize the “through” Mandaue-Cansaga Bay Expressway at designated hours, particularly crossing the Plaridel Street-UN Avenue junction, without re-routing.

 At the outset when the Cansaga Bay coastal road project was finished and opened to traffic, the expressway served the South to North (and vice-versa) “through” route from Cebu City. Incidentally, this expressway, which, by its essence is a continuing route, unimpeded, uninterrupted, and undiverted, corresponds to the Cebu City expressway to Minglanilla and farther south. Mandauehanon motorists could cross freely the Plaridel Street-UN Avenue junction, both ways.

  However, this peaceful traffic condition got soured when allegedly Gov. Gwen Garcia demanded a speedier travel in going to Mactan Airport and back. It’s their own wrong impression that what Gwen wants, Gwen gets. And so, making Gwen as unfair excuse, the Mandaue City Traffic Board (TEAM), like an obeisant lap dog, worked out a traffic scheme to make the use of UN Avenue from Mactan up to the Plaridel Street junction, down to Mandaue City proper and, finally to Cebu City, practically an “exclusive” passageway for Mactan and Cebu City motorists, at 24 hours a day “exclusivity.”

 Meantime, the real nature of an expressway as a “through” highway has been breached radically. Motorists from Cebu City and parts of Mandaue along Ouano(?) Avenue near CICC intending to pass the Cansaga bridge, have to turn left at the south end of S.B. Cabahug near the Sports Complex. This route passes through the heart of Mandaue Centro where the church, the City Hall, St. Joseph’s Academy, and a mall about to be open are located. This traffic now competes with the inner traffic generated from A. del Rosario Street and the Sotero B. Cabahug street going through Centro, Ibabao and Estancia which is always busy as there are now many business and commercial establishments. It ends up with the busy M.C. Briones highway before turning right to UN Avenue, and finally turns left to Paknaan.

 From the North, the motorists execute left turn converging with the UN Avenue traffic, then about a kilometer ahead, execute a left turn at UN Avenue-Corner Burgos Street which, incidentally, making thereat a traffic snarl. Burgos Street is so narrow for heavy volume and not a one-way street, with parking vehicles on both sides, and ends up at Centro adding congestion to the already congested traffic thereat.

 The council of elders suggested to rationalize the passage along Plaridel Street on certain hours, say, at 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M. and at 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., should be exclusive passage for the Mactan-Cebu City users; but between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., and beyond 9:00 PM up to 7:00 A.M. the following day, the North-South and vice-versa, should be allowed for crossing the junction, along with the Mactan-Cebu City motorists.

 The Team Board allegedly put up the excuse that allowing the crossing of the subject junction at any hour is confusing and complicated – “samok ug kuti” – for implementation. Well, how “samok” and “kuti” compared to the labyrinth-like route being implemented during the two-month dry run? Besides, instead of diffusing or spreading out traffic from the city proper or urban center, the TEAM Board has infused or added traffic volume by using S.B. Cabahug and Burgos Streets in order to smoothen further the exclusive use of Plaridel Street for the Mactan-Cebu City travelers.

 What worsens the woes of Mandaue motorists, especially along Alang-Alang, Estancia, Cambaro, Opao, is the many “no left turns” going northward of Plaridel Street. Engr. Tony Sanchez has jestingly remarked that Mandaue City is “no left turn” capital of the Philippines. In fact, complaints come from majority of Mandauehanons who appear to be “second class citizens”. Thus, many ask: When there is a local election of officials in Mandaue, is it the Mactan-Cebu City voters who cast their votes? Others are quite vocal that if the Sangguniang Panlungsod pass the proposed ordinance as recommended by the Team Board en toto, they would not vote for the approving SP members. Try feeling the pulse of Mandauehanons adversely affected by the proposed ordinance as is, ladies and gentlemen of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

(To be continued)