Pesquera welcomes underpass project’s progress

A construction worker checks on the work done at a portion of the underpass along N. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City. CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

DESPITE lamenting on the worsening traffic situation caused by the underpass construction, Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera welcomed the announcement that the project is 75 percent complete.

“I hope it’s true that it’s 75 percent complete. We have suffered so much,” Pesquera said in a message to Cebu Daily News.

Pesquera lamented how traveling from Basak Pardo to Mambaling could take up to an hour since the start of the construction of the underpass.

She said that prior to the project, traveling the route would only take about a few minutes.

Pesquera maintained that she would sue the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) if the underpass will not be able to alleviate the traffic situation in N. Bacalso Avenue.

“The officials (city councilors) approved of it (filing charges), including the proponent of the project. But I still hope that it will improve the traffic situation as they promised,” Pesquera said.

In April, the councilor threatened that she would file graft charges against DPWH if the underpass would not be of help to the traffic situation after WT Construction, the project contractor, moved to close the southbound lane of the road to pave way for the third phase of the project.

She said in previous reports that the underpass construction had become a source of trouble rather than a solution to the traffic problem

On Friday, Roy Dela Cruz, the project engineer of the underpass, announced that they had already completed the third phase of the project hence, the southbound lane would be reopened soon.

However, Dela Cruz also said that with the start of the fourth phase of the project, they would have to close the northbound lane of the street.

Cebu City Transportation Office Chief Francisco Ouano said that a new traffic plan for north bound vehicles had already been on the way.

He said that they initially planned to let the vehicles going to the city to take Cabreros Street upon reaching Basak San Nicolas, and via Tagunol Street to exit in Mambaling.

Cebu City councilor David Tumulak, earlier said that the city would be willing to deploy 15 Kaohsiung buses to ferry stranded passengers when phase four would start.