Architectural Design of one of the stations of the Cebu City Bus Rapid Transit Project. Photo from Cebu City BRT Facebook
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Civil works on package one of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRP) is now beginning to progress towards the vicinity of the Cebu Capitol.
Ronnie Nadera, information officer of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), warns of slow moving traffic in this part of the city as soon as works start.
He is also appealing for understanding, patience and the cooperation of motorists as portions of nearby roads like M.P. Yap Street were already closed to vehicular traffic.
Nadera said traffic rerouting was also implemented in the area.
CCTO personnel were deployed on the outer lanes of the affected roads while signages were already installed in strategic places to guide motorists.
On the other hand, nearby roads like J. Llorente and J. Avila Streets remain passable while the implementation of parallel parking near the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda will continue.
This early, Nadera gave the assurance that traffic flow in roads located close to the Cebu Capitol will remain manageable because the innermost lanes of Osmeña Boulevard, especially the section near the regional office of the Department of Health, were now accessible to vehicles.
“Dili man g’yud ingong dako og naapektuhan kay open ra man siya [ang Osmeña Boulevard], except sa M.P Yap kay karon dili matadlasan so close na siya, Ang atong J. Avila [Street] pwede pa ka katadlas,” Nadera told CDN Digital.
“Ang atong Osmeña Blvd., Fuente Rotunda, maagian pa man nato ang tibuok rotunda, padungsa kapitolyo, two lanes sa pikas, two lanes pod sa pikas. So, mao pa na ang dakong kausaban pa,” he added.
But he warned of congestion problems as soon as civil works reach Escario Street.
“So, probably ang naay dako-dakong impact sa atong traffic ani is sa kapitolyo jud labi nag maigo na ang Escario nato sa traffic rerouting. Based sa speed sa ilang pag construct no, probably by late August mo touch na [ang project sa Escario] or earlier pa, depende sa panahon,” he added.
Looking at the brighter side, Nadera said, Cebuanos will also be ones to benefit as soon as phase 1 of the BRT project was complete.
Package 1 include the construction of four bus stations near the Cebu South Bus Terminal, Cebu Normal University, Fuente Osmeña Circle, and the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
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