Friday, July 13, 2007 Banilad taxpayers suggest skyway, not flyover
WHY not build a skyway instead of a flyover at the Gov. Mariano Cuenco Ave. and A.S. Fortuna St. junction?
That’s the proposal of Banilad business owners that Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said will address the traffic problem and at the same time assuage these owners’ fears that a flyover will be bad for business.
Jakosalem said he will propose a resolution asking the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 to make a cost estimate for a skyway from the intersection to another one near the Gaisano Country Mall.
Building a flyover at the A.S. Fortuna junction will only worsen the gridlock across Country Mall, the councilor added. “A single-corner flyover (at Foodland) would just transfer and worsen congestion to the Country Mall corner,” the council committee on transportation chairman said.
Jakosalem said coming up with a cost estimate is the first step toward addressing both traffic and business concerns in the Banilad-Talamban area.
Bunny Pages, owner of Bright Academy and Thirsty Juices and Shakes, also told Sun.Star last night that business owners from the Foodland area up to Country Mall have volunteered to sell their properties even at below-market prices just so the government could expand the road.
But judging from the outcome of last night’s meeting, it seemed Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar and Mayor Tomas Osmeña are both set on building the flyover, he said.
Pages said the flyover is just “a Band-aid solution” since vehicles would still end up in a bottleneck at the Country Mall area if the road is not expanded.
He urged residents and the riding public to let their sentiments be known by the City Government’s officials.
Financed by Congressman del Mar’s Priority Development Assistance Fund, a P126.5-million flyover is being planned over the Gov. Cuenco-A.S. Fortuna junction.
The City Council and the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) have not officially come up with a position on the flyover, Jakosalem said.
He said the City Council could authorize him to make representations with President Arroyo for the National Government to appropriate an additional amount. (RHM)
