South highway relaxes: agency

GOOD news awaits motorists and commuters from the south who regularly pass a depressed portion of N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City.

Roy dela Cruz, project engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways 7, said the side roads on both lanes of the underpass project will open to vehicular traffic on Saturday, Nov. 24.

“We’re no longer expecting any traffic rerouting once the side roads will be opened. And we’re expecting traffic there to improve,” he said.

The underpass project, which started in August 2017, is now 81 percent complete.

Dela Cruz said they have recently finished the implementation of phase 4, which included boring, concreting and the construction of the retaining walls.

They are now working on phases 5 and 6, which will cover the excavation, drainage lines, boring and concreting of the underpass’ lanes on both sides.

“We hope to be on target of the completion date on May 28, 2019,” Dela Cruz said.

The project engineer said an P18-million road widening project is expected to follow as soon as its contract will be approved.

A contractor already won the bidding but a rebidding has been called because of certain technical deficiencies, de la Cruz said. He hopes the rebidding will be scheduled this month. (RTF)