Cebu City: P700M road widening on J. Alcantara St. to ease traffic
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A P700 million road widening project aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and improving drainage along J. Alcantara Street in Cebu City officially broke ground on February 3, 2025.
The 300-meter stretch, spanning from Librando Bus Terminal to the JDC building near Sambag 1st Street, is expected to expand the existing two-lane road into a four-lane thoroughfare.
“Dako kaayo og kausaban atong nakit-an diri sa inyong barangay…and I’m very happy. That’s why I am very supportive of all the initiatives and programs diri sa Barangay Sambag I,” said Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia during the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday.
(It will be a big change that you will see in your barangay…and I’m very happy. That’s why I am very supportive of all the initiatives and programs here in Barangay Sambag I.)
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In an interview on February 4, Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the committee on infrastructure, explained that beyond road widening and concreting, the project includes the installation of drainage mains, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters.
This was particularly crucial, he said, as the area currently lacked an adequate drainage system, leaving residents and businesses vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains.
Guardo also said that the initiative was also part of the city’s “land recovery” program, which would seek to reclaim public roads and optimize urban infrastructure.
With the existing concrete road measuring only seven meters wide, he said the expansion to 15 meters would significantly improve traffic flow, especially in key access routes connecting Urgello Street, Barangays Sambag I and II, and V. Rama Avenue.
The project is financed through the Local Development Fund, with allocations made in previous years.
However, Guardo acknowledged that the construction was delayed due to multiple revisions to the design and budget constraints faced by the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).
Business establishments and residents occupying portions of the intended road expansion have been informed of the project, and many have voluntarily started removing encroaching structures.
Guardo noted that only about 20 percent of the affected properties extend beyond the designated road boundary.
For any remaining obstructions, a team from the Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement (PROBE) will be tasked with clearing the area.
Apart from the J. Alcantara Street widening, the DEPW is set to roll out another road concreting project in the interior areas of Barangay Hippodromo in the coming weeks.
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