Fishermen in barangay Day-as Cordova ply their livelihood in this area where the third bridge linking Mactan Island to Cebu, will be built. CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
Construction of the third bridge is expected to commence soon as the Cebu Link Joint Venture (CLJV), a construction and engineering consortium overseeing the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) project is set to lease portions of the South Road Properties (SRP) as a staging area for the project.
The Cebu City Council passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for and in behalf of the City of Cebu, to enter into a contract of lease with CLJV, represented by its project director Julio Ruiz.
During the council’s regular session last Tuesday, Councilor Eugenio Gabuya who authorized the resolution said, “The CCLEX Project will help reduce economic losses due to traffic congestion, will bolster trade activities in the Municipality of Cordova and in Cebu City and will create more job opportunities for Cebuanos.”
CCLEX is a project of the national government to construct a bridge connecting the town of Cordova in Mactan island and Cebu City.
Gabuya said that in December last year CLJV sent a letter of intent to lease portions of the SRP with an estimated area of 57,170 square meters and to use another 1,500 square meters area which is the jetty of SRP.
“(This is) for CCLEX Project for 46 months,” Gabuya said.
The CCLEX project will commence on March 1 and will end in December, 2021 and will cost P99,480,373.60.
Under the lease contract, the city government will allow CLJV to use the SRP lot for all of its construction or support-related requirements and activities or as staging area in connection with to the CCLEX project.
The contract also allows the contractor to use the area as barracks, temporary dumpsite of construction debris, location for a septic tank for personnel among others.
The contract also allows CLJV to “use the jetty owned by (the city government) located at the coastal area of SRP, with an area of 1,500 square meters and to improve the (jetty) permanently up to 25,000 square meters”.
The use of the jetty will not entail any additional cost, but the contract also provides that all improvements done by the contractor on the jetty “shall be automatically donated to the city government after completion of the contract.”
According to Gabuya, this contract did not undergo any bidding or any mode of comparative proposals because this is a direct negotiation between Cebu City government and CLJV, which was agreed upon and finalized.
“The Committee on Awards of Cebu City Government issued as Committee Resolution certifying a successful negotiation between the parties,” Gabuya said.