THE P700-million underpass in Mambaling, Cebu City will be completed on May 31, 2019.
Project Engineer Roy dela Cruz of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said a team from their central office in Manila is arranging the inauguration, which will be held on June 15.
He said the underpass will be opened to traffic after the inauguration.
“We will coordinate with the City Transportation Office next week regarding the traffic scheme,” he said.
Dela Cruz said the agency has already conducted a public bidding on the P18-million widening of Natalio Bacalso Ave. where the project is located, but it has yet to award the project to the winning bidder.
He said the old contractor did not implement the project when it was first bid out so the agency terminated the contract.
“Our legal department is legalizing it through a change of creditors so the new contractor can implement the road widening project,” he said.
Dela Cruz said the length of the road that will be widened is 400 meters on both sides of the underpass. On the lane adjacent to Shopwise, the widening will start from Ho Ngohiong to Tri-J Enterprises. On the side adjacent to Super Metro, it will start from Caimito St. (right across Ho Ngohiong) to the entrance of Friendship Village (right across Tri-J Enterprises).
Dela Cruz said the negotiation to acquire the right-of-way is almost done and some of the 35 firms and houseowners that will be affected have already claimed payments.
“Some are just waiting for the actual implementation of the widening project before voluntarily demolishing their structures,” he said.
The widening project should not cause heavy traffic in the area since the underpass will be opened to traffic, he said.
He said they conducted a dry run and opened the underpass to traffic last May 12-13.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor-elect Antonio Cuenco said the underpass project is a waste of money, as it is still a two-lane road and will be impassable if an accident happens.
“Had DPWH just implemented the widening project without any underpass, the government could not have spent P700 million or (it could have) used the amount to fix other dilapidated roads,” Cuenco said. (EOB)