A father and his son on board a motorcycle try to maneuver the heavy traffic along the stretch of M.L. Quezon Street in Lapu-Lapu City after a new route scheme was implemented. (CDN PHOTO/FERDINAND EDRALIN)
A motorcycle ban and a longer time for vehicles to exit Lapu-Lapu City via UN Avenue were proposed by Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City traffic officials to help ease traffic in both the Mandaue-Mactan and Marcelo Fernan bridges.
The City Traffic Management System (CTMS) of Lapu-Lapu City met with the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) to discuss solutions to the traffic congestion in the two bridges that lasts at least two hours.
CTMS chief Frank Brazil asked Architect Florentino Nimor who heads TEAM to adjust and lengthen the time allotted for vehicles exiting Lapu-Lapu City at UN Avenue to decongest traffic buildup.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic had been felt by motorists and public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers headed to Lapu-Lapu City that stretched all the way to the airport road for the past few days.
The congestion was caused by the ongoing repairs at the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Brazil proposed that motorcycles should be banned from entering the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge since they aggravate the congestion by overtaking other vehicles.
He said since passengers from mainland Cebu who are heading to the Mactan Cebu International Airport are being prioritized with more lanes, motorists and PUVs have fewer lanes to use when leaving Lapu-Lapu City.
“Kusog ang sulod sa mga sakyanan paingon sa Lapu-Lapu pero hinay ang padulong gawas (Vehicles enter Lapu-Lapu City fast but they are slow in exiting Lapu-Lapu),” Brazil said.
Nimor said they will study Brazil’s suggestion to ban motorcycles from entering the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.
He said the traffic buildup at corner UN Avenue and Plaridel Street is expected due to similar traffic buildup at MC Briones and Rizal Highway in Mandaue City.
Nimor said the congestion ensued since last Saturday when the bridge contractor started scraping the pavement at the lane going to Mandaue City.
He said this forced motorists to slow down to avoid the expansion joints that protruded from the lane.
“Di man sila makapakusog og dagan kay mahadlok man labi na gagmay’ng auto ug jeep (They couldn’t speed up especially the small cars and jeepneys) because of the expansion joints that became humps on the first bridge,” Brazil said.
This created congestion of vehicles at ML Quezon highway and affected all other roads in the Poblacion area, Brazil said.
Nimor said Mandaue City recorded 370,000 vehicles each day coming to and from the north, south and Lapu-Lapu City areas.
Brazil said he told DPWH-7 Director Ador Canlas to tell the contractor to place a two-meter ramp before the expansion joints.
For now though, Nimor advised motorists and commuters to leave home early to avoid the traffic.