Friday, March 23, 2007 Traffic congestion By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
TRAFFIC was heavier than usual, and there were gridlocks in some intersections near Cebu City Hall yesterday when the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) began rerouting southbound vehicles passing through the South Road Properties (SRP).
Citom Executive Officer Arnel Tancinco asked for the public’s indulgence, as several jeepney routes will have to be altered to reduce the number of vehicles on M.C. Briones St. and nearby roads.
SPO4 Ricardo Hapitan of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Traffic Division Operations, said some Mandaue and Guadalupe routes will be initially affected starting today.
He said Mandaue passenger jeepneys will be asked to turn left to Urdaneta St. across the Cebu Cathedral, while those plying Guadalupe routes will turn left to F. Gonzales St. from Carbon Public Market, and then to Osmeña Blvd. before proceeding to Lapu-Lapu St.
Traffic on the lane going to the SRP viaduct area from the city was diverted towards M.C. Briones St., passing by City Hall starting 10 a.m. yesterday.
It was in response to the request of Kajima Corp., South Coastal Road subway contractor.
The City Council granted its request last Feb. 28.
In an interview, Tancinco said the mayor was angry over the development, because traffic was clogged even in intersections away from the area.
Several people transacting business ended up walking towards City Hall by opting to disembark from the jeepneys they were riding instead of waiting for traffic to move.
“Samok gyud. Kay ang two to three lanes sa una, gihimo nang four, five-way (It was really a mess),” Tancinco said.
In a news conference, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said all he told Tancinco was for him to “get orders from Kajima.”
Kajima, he said, needs to get permission from the court, not from him or else, the contractor might be cited for contempt.
The court last year ordered the reopening of the Cebu South Coastal Road after the mayor had it closed for security reasonss.
In a letter, Kajima project manager Hikonari Maeda said the rerouting was needed “to give more space for the heavy moving equipment within the piling area and for the safety of motorists traversing along the city-bound lane.”
They need to close one lane of the road because they have to conduct piling works in six sections of the subway.
After being diverted towards M.C. Briones St., southbound vehicles passing through the SRP will turn left at the D. Jakosalem St. intersection for a detour towards the SRP.
Yesterday, many traffic enforcers and policemen were posted on M.C. Briones intersections with Burgos, Lapu-Lapu, Jakosalem, and M.J. Cuenco Sts.
Senior Insp. Fabio Cedeño, CCPO traffic division deputy chief, said Citom needs to place a traffic signal at the M.C. Briones and D. Jakosalem intersection to help control vehicle movement.
He said both sides of M.C. Briones will have to be made no-parking areas to give trailer trucks more space to maneuver towards the SRP.
A traffic enforcer, who asked not to be named, said they expected yesterday to be chaotic being the first day of the rerouting’s implementation.
Motorists were asked to follow traffic signs placed on the intersections, and the enforcers’ directions. (RHM)
