Saturday, August 04, 2007 Jonas, del Mar agree on road widening plan
PRESIDENT Arroyo inspected the congested H. Abellana St. in Mandaue City on her way back to the airport yesterday, to see for herself the traffic problems there.
Traffic on H. Abellana St. in Barangay Canduman worried officials in both Cebu and Mandaue cities when classes of the newly transferred Sacred Heart School-Jesuit (SHS-J) started weeks ago.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said that the President wanted to see the road connecting Cebu City to northern towns via Mandaue City, so he showed her “the bottleneck” on H. Abellana St.
Cortes told Sun.Star Cebu that the Jesuit priests wrote a letter to the President so she went there to see the place. The mayor did not disclose the contents of the letter, though.
Mayor Cortes and Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north) have agreed to help each other with the widening of Mandaue City’s roads to ease traffic in the Banilad and Talamban areas in Cebu City.
In a phone interview, Cortes said he talked with the Cebu City legislator and realized that it will take more than a flyover in Banilad to improve traffic flow in the two cities.
Cortes mentioned the need to widen the roads from the Ayala access road to M. L. Quezon and Hernan Cortes Sts. Traffic experts earlier said the two streets should be widened to serve as alternative roads for motorists to decongest Gov. Cuenco Ave. in Banilad.
“Hopefully, we can get funding for the widening of the two streets because we saw that the traffic in Banilad is very heavy,” the mayor said.
Cortes said President Arroyo wanted to pass by Gov. Cuenco Ave. in Banilad and H. Abellana St. in Barangay Canduman in Mandaue to see the alternative roads leading to northern Cebu, where a coastal road will be constructed.
The coastal road will start in Mandaue City and end in Liloan town.
President Arroyo was in Cebu yesterday to attend the opening of a call center at the Cebu Business Park in Cebu City.
Quick look
When asked if he requested the President to fund the road widening, Mayor Cortes said he did not because the National Government is already paying for the construction of the coastal road and the bridge connecting Mandaue and Consolacion town.
In a separate interview, Congressman del Mar said they briefed Arroyo on the importance of the Mandaue roads in easing traffic in Cebu City.
Specifically, he and Cortes mentioned the need for funds for the construction of a bridge that will connect Canduman to Barangay Cabancalan and to widen the roads there.
“Anyway, the DPWH regional director was with us inside the Coaster with the President. He was asked to make a report on the estimate not only for the bridge but also for the widening,” he added.
Del Mar said that when the vehicle reached the Mahiga Creek beside Gaisano Country Mall in Banilad, he told the President about the need to widen the road all the way to the Canduman bridge at the boundary of Barangay Talamban.
He did not ask the President for funds, though, saying he did not want to confuse her with two requests at the same time.
It was enough, he said, that he was able to give a “situationer” and raised the need for road improvements.
“I just gave her a preliminary report on the situation. I contented myself with making a preliminary briefing. I did not want to overwhelm her with two requests,” del Mar said.
The legislator said, though, that he will eventually have to ask for funds for the widening of the bridges once funds for the widening of Mandaue’s roads are provided.
President Arroyo’s quick visit to Mandaue forced the city’s policemen to adjust quickly and secure the President’s altered routes on her way back to the Mactan airport. (OCP/RHM)
