STARTING Sunday, April 2, 2023, motorists heading to Lapu-Lapu City can expect slow traffic along Marcelo Fernan Bridge as the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will do repair works on its damaged power line.
Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System head Mario Napuli told SunStar Cebu Saturday, April 1, that NGCP will start its repair on Sunday but stressed that the latter promised to make sure that it would still be a two-way lane along UN Ave. in Mandaue City going to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
“There will be a bit of inconvenience when you get to the site because there will be an excavation, although they have already secured it,” Napuli said, adding that the volume of vehicles passing through the second bridge connecting mainland Cebu to Mactan Island is unpredictable.
During the NGCP’s meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) last Friday, the NGCP said it would work in two eight-hour shifts, considering that it targets to complete the repairs on May 8.
He, however, urged the public, particularly those heading to the airport, to travel early to avoid missing their flights.
Napuli said the normal flow of traffic in the area is expected to resume days after the repair.
Also last Friday, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia met with NGCP officials and other stakeholders, proposing the early restoration of the damaged cable line in the area to avoid inconvenience to the motorists traversing Ouano Ave. and UN Ave.
During their meeting, NGCP presented its plans to fast-track its repairs.
Prior to this, Garcia had expressed her intention to meet with the contractors of the transmission company on April 5.
The governor reiterated to NGCP and other agencies involved to closely coordinate with local government units before they implement their plans and projects since their residents are the ones who will be affected.
The 138-kilovolt line 2 Cebu-Mandaue underground power line of the NGCP sustained damage due to the road diggings undertaken by the DPWH in the area last January.
The damage to the power line has reduced the power supply and forced the Mactan Electric Company to impose rotating brownouts in Mactan Island.