INSTEAD of a third bridge that connects to Cebu City, former Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas is asking planners to consider a design that would bring one end of the proposed third Mactan-to-mainland bridge to be in Talisay City.
Gullas said residents in the southern part of the province also need easy access to Mactan island where the Mactan Export Processing Zone and the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) are located.
“Tagaan sad nato ug chance ang taga (let’s give a chance to the) south,” said Gullas in a press conference yesterday.
Officials of the Metro Pacific Tollways are in talks with Cebu provincial government and Cebu City officials on the proposed third bridge.
Their proposed bridge design will connect Mactan Island to a portion of the Guadalupe River in Cebu City.
Pablo Villaber, president and general manager of the Malayan Integrated Industries Corp., said his company is also planning a third bridge as a component of the 3,500 hectare reclamation project in Shell Island in Cordova town.
But their bridge design will connect Shell Island to part of M. J. Cuenco Street in Cebu City.
“The purpose of coming up with a third bridge is to de-clog traffic. If the third bridge is in Cebu City it will only result in a gridlock,” Gullas said.
He said bringing vehicular traffic to Cebu City will only aggravate the congestion in the area.
Gullas said the planned third bridge should instead be designed to have one end somewhere in barangays Tangke or San Roque in Talisay City.
Gullas said this bridge design will help de-clog traffic in Cebu City. Southern Cebu also has a huge vehicular traffic volume, he said.