Friday, July 27, 2007 Banilad flyover funds programmed: Del Mar
REP. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north) allayed fears that the proposed Banilad flyover might be halted midway into its construction because half of the P150-million budget is not yet on hand.
He said the P75-million is already “programmed” into the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) budget for next year and could not be scrapped.
He said P47 million of the amount is an automatic allocation as replacement of the supposed realigned budget that reverted to the general fund after the proposed Juan Luna Ave. flyover was “put off” because of objections from affected constituents.
Constituents
What is currently available is P49 million allocated for Gov. Cuenco Ave., P40 million for this year’s infrastructure program, and P34 million from the Juan Luna flyover budget.
Del Mar said that all the so-called “alternative solutions” presented in last Wednesday’s public hearing called for by the Cebu City Council are somethings that everybody wanted.
But “much as we want to finance additional works, we have limited resources,” he said.
“Let’s be realistic and do on what is within our resources, and plan and secure the additional sources in the near future,” the congressman said.
“Who doesn’t want all those? We want so many things in this world, if only we have unlimited resources. Let us be realistic and work on what is doable, on what is within our resources, of what we still have,” he added.
Del Mar said construction of the flyover is projected to start in October or by the start of November.
By the time the additional fund is available, construction is not finished yet, he said.
Dr. Primitivo Cal, a University of the Philippines (UP) urban planning expert and professor, had said in last Wednesday’s public hearing that the proposed flyover is “inadequate” and “not practical.”
He said that what is needed is a four-lane divided flyover to accommodate the number of vehicles.
After studying the DPWH 7 design, he and City Planning and Development Officer Paul Villarete both agreed that the flyover alone will not solve traffic woes in the area.
Villarete had said that the issue is not a matter of a flyover against the other options, saying each contribute in solving the problem.
Conditions
Among the conditions he set is the modification of the J. Panis intersection leading to the Gaisano Country Mall, and creation of two left-turning lanes and two right-turning lanes at the A.S. Fortuna junction.
He said the DPWH should set up two box culverts on the Mahiga Bridge to create two more lanes and later lower the bridge.
Cal said that the DPWH 7 must first widen the two-lane Hernan Cortes St. in Mandaue City to a four-lane highway as alternative widening to relieve bottlenecks in Gov. Cuenco.
He also proposed that the road starting from the Foodland area to the University of San Carlos-Technological Center be widened to accommodate more north-bound vehicles.
Instead of a flyover, Cal suggested the widening of Gov. Cuenco Ave. to a 6-lane divided highway; improving layouts of the Mahiga (J. Panis St.) and Foodland intersections; and reconstructing Mahiga Bridge to provide a 6-lane divided road, and leveling the slope approaches leading to the bridge.
Del Mar said that while all the proposals are necessary, it is best to approach the problem one solution at a time, when the funds are available.
Implementing all those proposed answers, he added, would require billions of pesos, which could not be had in one setting. (RHM)
