Editorial Cartoon, February 12, 2014
The plan to connect Carcar City in Cebu’s south to Danao City in the north through the widening of roads and the digging of tunnels would address road congestion that has worsened in the beaten paths of Natalio Bacalso Avenue and even S. Osmeña Road.
A freer flow of vehicular traffic would help the economy since efficient land transportation is a great cost-saving measure for many businesses, not to mention an attraction for tourists who want to see the best of Cebu in no time.
Produce from farms and fields like the vegetables of Mantalongon and sugar from the north would be more easily conveyed to the capital and its ports.
Those who will study this infrastructure project that is the centerpiece of the Metro Cebu Development Project 3, however, are well-advised to put a premium on weighing its environmental impact.
Digging tunnels appears to be a good option since it can save space. An example is the South Road Properties tunnel that runs beneath the historic Plaza Independencia.
Tunnels, in addition, spare people from those eyesores and divisive structures called flyovers.
If we dig more of them, however, we must ensure that they have not only proper ventilation that was almost entirely overlooked in the tunnel beneath the plaza.
We must also consider the impact on archaeological treasures that are buried in our shores and on the coastal areas as a whole. Moreover, the tunnels cannot be allowed to upset our topography.
Meanwhile, road widening would certainly displace hundreds of families. They need to be properly compensated or relocated to make the projects flow smoothly.
We cannot close our eyes to the effects of wider roads on century-old trees and heritage houses.
The Department of Public Works and Highways knows well enough that people would raise objections over any major project, it would best behoove them not to ignore those voices but instead consult with them as part of the study.
The department must also be open to integrating new ideas like that of the Road Revolution into this huge project so that it does not merely result in arid and infertile tracts of concrete and asphalt but show that projects like these do not have to mar earth’s beauty.