The NavForcen wharf is being considered as a docking area for barges and fastcraft between mainland Cebu and Mactan Island once the rehab works on the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge resume. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The Naval Base Rafael Ramos (NBRR) is open to accommodating barges at their Capt. Veloso Pier in Barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City in order to ease the traffic congestion caused by the repairs on the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.
But Lt. James Reyes, spokesman of the Naval Forces Central (Navforcen), said they need to discuss security details with national government agencies and the Lapu-Lapu City government on the use of the pier.
Reyes said among their concerns is the volume of passengers disembarking on their port.
He said vehicles that will fetch the passengers from inside to outside their base should also be discussed.
“We also have to ask if they will only unload or load passengers? We have to discuss that since our pier will be used up to six months,” he said.
Reyes said their base strictly prohibits the entry of foreigners.
Reyes said the operators must specify the number of barges that will use the port.
He said barges may have difficulty unloading cargoes or passengers during low tide.
Ladders that connect the barges to the pier may be lifted 45 degrees high which is unsafe for passengers, Reyes said.
He said the Coast Guard should ensure passenger safety and security.
Repairs on the supports for the water transmission line underneath the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge are expected to start next week, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) said.
MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Kara said they will meet with representatives of Jegma Construction and Development Corp., the contractor working on the bridge repairs, to finalize project details.
The MCWD will then apply for a work permit from the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH 7) to proceed. No specific date was set for the start of the project.
“Supposedly, we would start early next week if the permit was secured this week. But with the situation, maybe it will just be pushed by a few days,” Kara said.
Water district engineers proposed the use of galvanized iron-dipped steel to reinforce the corroded braces supporting the 400 mm water line running underneath the sidewalk of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge. It will take 35 days to finish reinforcing the pipe support on the water lines.