Mayor Rama frowns on P200M project;‘Widen side roads first’
A diagram of the SMART tunnel or stormwater management and road tunnel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (SOURCE: GAMUDA BERHAD)
Unless diversion roads are widened first, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he doesn’t want to push through with a proposed storm water underpass along N. Bacalso Avenue.
An initial P200 million is allocated in the 2015 national budget for the underpass, a pet project of south district Rep. Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa.
READ: ‘Building a storm tunnel easier than widening N. Bacalso Ave.’
It was presented to the Mega Cebu board and Cebu congressmen in June last year who supported it as a pilot anti-flooding mechanism inspired by the one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rama yesterday met with representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu City Engineering District at his office to raise his concerns about the timing.
“We had a united stand that we will not be allowing anything yet in that area. Though the project could be laudable, but if done without addressing first the diversion roads (there may be problems),” Rama told reporters after the closed-door meeting.
Among the roads Mayor Rama wants to be widened are E. Sabellano St. and Tagunol St. going all the way to F. Jaca St.
The special underpass would involve widening N. Bacalso Avenue to six lanes and using two center lanes for a SMART tunnel or Storm water Management and Road Tunnel.
Kuala Lumpur has a 9.7-kilometer SMART tunnel used by motor vehicles during the dry season and used as an emergency channel for flood water during heavy rains.
The project is estimated to cost P700 million based on technical studies done by the DPWH and would cover 700 meters along N. Bacalso Ave. at the intersection of F. Llamas St.
Only a portion or P200 million was included in the DPWH annual budget to be implemented by the regional office.
“It’s not the money or the approval that matters. It is the responsibility of the mayor to see how far is the inconvenience made because if it will be chaotic and create havoc, then I don’t think it is pressing enough to have that one now,” Rama said.
For now, the project is at a standstill and has not yet been bidded out.
READ: Cebu congressmen push for anti-flooding solutions, masterplan for Mega Cebu
“What was released this year was only P200 million but that’s not enough. So we requested that the funds be included in the Multi-Year Obligational Authority (MYOA) so we will be assured of the funds even after this year,” DPWH Regional Director Ador Canlas told CDN.
The MYOA , a document issued by the Department of Budget and Management, would authorize the agency to enter into multi-year contracts for the full project cost and obligate it to include in their budget proposal for ensuing years the amount programmed for these years.
Canlas said his office submitted document requirements and asked to execute it on a design-and-build scheme where the DPWH will draw up the terms of reference and a contractor will prepare the design and plans.
“You can’t just bid it out on an initial P200 million because what’s needed is P700 million. Hopefully, before the year ends, the MYOA will be approved,” Canlas said.
The mayor said he called for the meeting with the DPWH as a “proactive” measure.
He said a similar problem was faced with a DPWH project for concreting of roads leading to the SRP tunnel.
“Remember, we ended up with the same problem in the (SRP) tunnel. At least the DPWH is already aware that they should work first on Sabellano and Tagunol,” Rama explained.
Last month, Rama had work suspended on the national road project for the approaches of the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR). He feared heavy traffic congestion on the connecting S. Osmeña Road if work isn’t finished before the Cobra Ironman 70.3 scheduled in July or August.
The project was already bidded out and awarded to a winning contractor. But with the mayor’s objection, the DPWH Cebu City District office suspended work.
Mayor Rama denied that he was trying to obstruct the project for political reasons since it’s identified with Congressman Abellanosa, with whom he has a running conflict over city scholars enrolled in the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation (ACT) founded by Abellanosa.
Sought for comment, Congressman Abellanosa said the mayor’s objection was “typical” of Rama.
“He will sacrifice everything even the welfare of the people and the city just to hit me, the school, the parents, city scholars, his political opponents, national funded protects initiated by Rep. Raul Del Mar and me,” Abellanosa said in a statement.
He said the special overpass would ease traffic at the intersection of the national highway and F. Llamas St. where the bulk of motorists from populated southern barangays like Basak San Nicolas, Guadalupe, Tisa, Labangon and Punta Princesa pass through to reach the South Road Properties especially the SM Seaside Complex via the Mambaling access road.
“Expect billions worth of projects from the national government to be thrown away by Mike Rama in the face of our cash-starved city. Cebu City does not deserve a mayor like Mike Rama,” said Abellanosa.
Initial work would require lot acquisition. Mayor Rama said it would only involve the widening of the existing N. Bacalso road.
He instead plans to widen alternative roads like Sabellano and Tagunol Streets so traffic won’t build up and worsen when the intersection is closed for civil works.
Another concern is its impact on the route of the proposed Cebu Bus Rapid Transit since N. Bacalso Avenue is part of the BRT corridor.
“That project has to be coordinated with the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC). I didn’t get an official copy of the project document yet but that will have to go through DOTC given that it’s part of the BRT corridor,” Yap said.
Canlas of DPWH assured he would discuss this with the DOTC, which is the lead implementing agency for the World Bank-funded BRT project due for completion after 2016.
Canlas wasn’t present in the meeting with the mayor.
He sent DPWH engineers Roger Quibilan and Gumer Castillo. Also present were barangay captains of Punta Princesa, Basak San Nicolas and Mambaling, city attorney Jerone Castillo, assistant cityengineer Joel Reston and engineering consultant Joseph Abellar.