THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu 6th District Engineering only closed one lane of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge viaduct on the Lapu-Lapu City side, instead of implementing a total road closure as it earlier announced.
Heavy traffic was experienced at the first Mactan-Mandaue Bridge yesterday morning as motorists used it to avoid the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
Officer-in-charge of the City Traffic Management System of Lapu-Lapu, Mario Napule, said that as one lane was being worked on yesterday, one lane was left open for motorists going to Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City or the airport road.
Napule also learned yesterday that instead of four days, the rehabilitation work on the viaduct will last until Sept. 30.
Napule said that from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m., the two lanes of the viaduct are closed so workers can focus on their job. During daytime, one lane will be open.
Napule said that because of the heavy traffic on the first bridge, especially for motorists coming from Mandaue City going to Lapu-Lapu City, traffic lights had to be operated manually.
“I decided to go manual for the traffic lights to unclog traffic,” Napule said.
Traffic was worst at 7 a.m. yesterday. It eased a little at 10 a.m.
The DPWH had been criticized for not doing an information campaign on the closure of the bridge’s viaduct. FVQ