THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Central Visayas has rescheduled the start of the next phase of the multi-million peso underpass project on N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City.
Engr. Roy dela Cruz, project engineer of DPWH-Central Visayas, said that instead of October 11, they will start the civil works in front of McDonalds three weeks from now.
“We’ll have to postpone it because we have decided to extend the major excavation in front of Shopwise. We had to remove the demountable structure at the center island to provide a lane that will be temporarily used by our equipment,” he told SunStar Cebu.
DPWH had initially planned to close the southbound lane to traffic on Wednesday, October 11, and proceed with the next phase of the P683-million underpass project.
In an earlier report, dela Cruz said they will transfer to the southbound lane so that they can lay out the foundations on both sides before drilling the roads for the underpass.
Work on the northbound bound lane has been ongoing since August 8.
But since the area in front of Shopwise is a major point of the underpass project, dela Cruz said they have to finish first the excavation in front of the supermarket before they proceed with works on the opposite lane.
But despite the postponement, the project engineer assured that this will not delay the completion of the underpass.
“We’re confident that we can finish it on time because were actually ahead of schedule. Aside from extending the excavation, there are no other factors for the postponement, so it’s not really something major,” dela Cruz said.
The new schedule was already coordinated with the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), he said.
In a separate interview, CCTO operations head Francisco Ouano said that there will be no road closure on the southbound lane on Wednesday and that traffic route will remain as it is.
At present, one lane of the southbound road has been temporarily dedicated for northbound vehicles.
Southbound vehicles, on the other hand, continue to ply the road in front of McDonalds since there were no major traffic diversions implemented following the enforcement of a truck ban in the area.
Meantime, Ouano said the DPWH will be asphalting the pocket roads that will be used as temporary thoroughfares three weeks from now.
Once the southbound lane is closed, motorists are advised to take the pocket roads on Caimito St., Ma. Gochan St., Ganciang St. and Katipunan St., then take a turn to F. Llamas St., then to their destination.
“Still, were asking for the public’s patience and understanding. As much as possible, if you have no important things to do in the area, avoid going there to prevent causing more traffic,” said Ouano. (SunStar Cebu)