TWO pedestrian skywalks in uptown Cebu City will be demolished to provide more space for the ongoing construction of Phase 1 of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project.
City Councilor Jerry Guardo said in an interview on Monday, May 29, 2023, that skywalks near the Fuente Osmeña Circle and near Cebu Normal University (CNU) along Osmeña Boulevard are set for demolition.
Guardo, chairman of the committee on infrastructure, said these skywalks must be removed in order to avoid obstructing the flow of the CBRT, and to create improved and developed sidewalks.
If only the supporting columns obstructing the CBRT will be removed, the entire infrastructure would be weakened, so it is better to demolish them, Guardo said.
The lawmaker further said if the two skywalks are already gone, the sidewalks will be widened.
He said crosswalks will be installed along with digital traffic lights after the demolition of the two skywalks.
Guardo said the two pedestrian skywalks had been constructed due to the existence of center islands.
In a separate interview, Jose Mari “Jay” Alba, acting chairman of the Cebu City Transportation Office, said the pedestrian skywalks must be demolished in order to meet the minimum headroom requirement for the CBRT buses.
Alba said the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas is already completing the necessary requirements to proceed with the removal of the two skywalks.
CNU student Jessabel Saycon disagreed with the decision to demolish the skywalks, saying both infrastructure are still in good condition.
Saycon said skywalks help students and other pedestrians cross the street safely. (AML)