SNAIL’S PACE. Vehicles slow to a crawl at MC Briones corner A.S. Fortuna due to the ongoing drainage rehabilitation in the area.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Hundreds of people were late for work and classes due to heavy traffic congestion that affected parts of Mandaue City from 7 a.m. to noon yesterday.
Edwin Ermac, head of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), said an ongoing drainage improvement project at the national highway and three vehicular accidents reported between 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. caused the congestion.
The first traffic accident happened near the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
A second one was reported near the North Bus Terminal while a third one was reported at U.N. Avenue which connects to the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
Ermac said a trailer was separated from its prime mover blocking vehicles using U.N. Avenue. Traffic build up was felt at 4 p.m. yesterday.
Diggings
“Bisan kami na confuse ganina (Even we were confused earlier) on what to do. All roads leading in and out of Mandaue City were blocked,” Ermac said in a radio interview.
Ermac said he deployed enforcers to handle vehicle movement especially in major intersections. P.B. Obial Construction made diggings at the intersection of M.C. Briones and A.S. Fortuna Streets starting last Monday.
The contractor was awarded the P83 million drainage improvement project by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The project started last May and is expected to be completed in 210 days.
The project includes the installation of box culverts that will run from A.S. Fortuna St., A.S. Fortuna Extension located in barangay Guizo and then to the Guizo Creek and the stone riprap along A.S. Fortuna Extension.
Covered with soil
Ermac said the presence of diggings slowed vehicle movement when passing by the intersection of M.C. Briones and A.S. Fortuna Streets.
“We had an agreement that they do the diggings at night. During daytime, they should place steel plates to cover the diggings,” he said.
But Ermac said site workers damaged a water pipe in the area.
After this was fixed by the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD), they merely covered their digging with soil.
“Ang mga sakyanan nga mo agi kay mag hinay gyud kay ma lubong man. Mao toy hinungdan sa (Passing vehicles would slow down to avoid sinking in the soil. That’s what caused the) traffic,” Ermac said.
Congestion worsened when the three vehicular accidents happened, he said.
Rerouting
Long lines of vehicles were visible along M.C. Briones Street from barangay Paknaan in the north to the boundary of barangay Mabolo near Innodata in the south.
Ermac said congestion along M.C. Briones Street also affected nearby roads like P. del Rosario and C. D. Seno Streets.
Ermac said he’s hopeful that traffic conditions along the national highway improve after diggings are transferred to the other side of A.S.
Fortuna Street near the old Mandaue Cinema to A.S. Fortuna Extension in barangay Guizo.
He said rerouting may also be implemented by then.
Ermac said part of A.S. Fortuna Street is used by private vehicles and passenger jeepneys coming from Talamban and Country Mall.