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Friday, November 18, 2005
Mactan-Mandaue bridge traffic 2-way again
By Allan I. Varquez
CEBU CITY -- The one-way traffic experiment on the first Mandaue-Mactan bridge was scrapped Thursday, at least until kinks are straightened out.
Motorists and commuters found themselves cursing and complaining after getting stuck in traffic in the three days that the scheme was implemented starting last Monday.
The Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) had wanted to ease traffic on the old bridge at certain hours of the day.
The bridge board, though, learned a lesson. It saw the need to build a third bridge.
"Traffic has increased a hundred thousand-fold since the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge was constructed," Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said, after a special board meeting that lasted two hours.
The board's request for a third bridge will be sent to the Regional Development Council, for endorsement to the proper body that will be tasked to evaluate the project.
"How shall it be constructed? We need to look for creative and innovative ways," said Garcia, who heads the bridge board.
The governor also took full responsibility for what happened with the one-way traffic scheme.
Late shipments
Several sectors, including the business community, complained that the experiment hampered their operations, especially in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ), because it stalled traffic and clogged up the bridge.
"Through all this, I take full responsibility for all the inconvenience that this has caused the public. I have done this in the effort to improve the present problematic situation and there are no further justifications, except that there is a need for additional access to and from the two islands," the governor said in a press conference.
MEZ locators have complained that their employees were late for work because of the traffic caused by the one-way experiment, said Rufino Ranulfo San Juan IV, department manager for operations at the MEZ administration office.
MEZ 1 alone has 113 companies with more than 50,000 workers.
The administration official also received complaints regarding delayed shipments because of the traffic scheme.
San Juan said they sent a letter to the MCBMB to express their locators' sentiment.
Lesson learned
The bridge board decided last week to implement a one-way traffic scheme on the old bridge.
Only Mandaue-bound vehicles were allowed to use the bridge from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The flow was reversed from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Only vehicles bound for Lapu-Lapu were allowed access to the bridge at that time.
The board had anticipated heavier traffic with four major events set in Cebu this month and in December.
Among those who got caught in the traffic were delegates to the 19th Philippine Advertising Congress, which started last Wednesday and is set to end Saturday.
Next week, Cebu will co-host the Southeast Asian Games.
Governor Garcia said, though, that if they did not implement the one-way scheme, they would never have seen the need for another bridge.
"Even at status quo, we all see these cars crawling on the first bridge. If they are transferred to the second bridge, still it becomes congested," she said.
The second bridge has been open since August 1999, while the first bridge was completed in 1973.
2-city study
During the meeting, it was established that the congestion brought about by the one-way scheme was primarily on the Lapu-Lapu City side because the Mandaue City side, except for the first day, managed to control traffic.
The board decided to stop the experiment until certain measures are set in place.
"But this is not to say that it has be totally shelved because the problem of traffic congestion on the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will continue," Garcia said.
Also discussed during the meeting was the suggestion of Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama to reduce the island at the approach of the bridge on the Lapu-Lapu side.
This is to give more street space that will allow a smoother traffic flow, said Rama, who attended the meeting.
Another suggestion is not to allow vehicles to make a left turn to Pusok at the foot of the bridge, as this will also add to the congestion.
Vehicles can be asked to go straight to Patalinjug Ave. and at some point be allowed to make a U-turn to go to Pusok.
Alternative routes for jeepneys have also been suggested and this will be included in the study by the two local government units.
"MCBMB only controls the traffic on the bridges, but not beyond the bridges," Garcia said. (Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(November 18, 2005 issue)
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