DID you experience the heavy traffic in Mandaue City on Wednesday night, Jan. 16?

The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) said three wing vans broke down separately, causing an almost 10-hour traffic jam on the Cebu North Road, a national highway.

Team’s office received more than a hundred calls about the situation.

Glenn Antigua, the Team head, said the traffic reached Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

He said Mandaue City should not be solely blamed for the traffic, saying that the two wing vans that broke down in Consolacion contributed to the problem.

Antigua said he and his personnel explained the situation to the irate callers.

The traffic gridlock started around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and it lasted around 12 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17.

At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Team received a report from the traffic enforcement agency of Consolacion that a wing van had broken down near the Cansaga Bridge.

The truck came from Mandaue City and was traveling towards northern Cebu.

Another truck coming from Barangay Tayud, Consolacion, also malfunctioned near the first truck.

As a result, all vehicles coming from Consolacion were diverted to the Cebu North Road from 2 p.m. onward.

The traffic worsened after a third wing van was damaged on Cebu North Road, near the boundary of Mandaue City and Consolacion at around 6 p.m.

At past 7 p.m., the van was removed from the Cebu North Road. Three hours later, the two other vans were towed away to clear the traffic in Cansaga Bay Bridge.

The 21 vehicles of Mandaue City Government helped in transporting stranded passengers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has not yet complied with the request to provide towing trucks for the two bridges linking Mactan Island and Cebu mainland.

Jonathan “Joy” Tumulak, Cebu Province’s focal person on traffic management, said the request was made after 13 vehicles were involved in one road accident, resulting in heavy traffic for hours.

“We need a tow truck with a boom for fast transfer of vehicles during emergencies, especially at the bridges,” Tumulak said.

DPWH 7 Director Edgar Tabacon said they will look into the request.

“We will inquire first from our central office if they have an available unit which we can possibly request to be issued to us,” Tabacon said. (From FMD of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL, EOB)