TRAFFIC lights along the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route are set to be replaced, according to an official of the Cebu City Traffic Management Coordination (TMC) Board.
TMC Board Acting Chairman Jay Alba, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, said all traffic lights along the BRT Package One route will be permanently removed and will be replaced with new ones.
“I think all stoplights that the BRT will pass will be replaced, but that will be the job of the contractor,” Alba said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He also said current traffic signals have to be replaced to align with the configuration of the BRT lanes.
He said that priority would be given to installing new traffic lights on the BRT lanes as well as adding lights to the lanes designated for private and public transportation.
“The BRT project (contractor) will install the new traffic light system that will complement the BRT,” Alba said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Kent Francesco Jongoy, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) legal officer, in a separate interview, told SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Aug. 24, that among the traffic lights affected are those in four intersections along the whole stretch of Osmeña Blvd., from the Provincial Capitol to P. del Rosario St.
Jongoy emphasized that the BRT lane will have its own traffic light system.
“Technically, it’s part of the civil works of the BRT. Now, the (temporary road) closures can be understood as a precursor to what will happen after the BRT works are completed since the BRT dedicated lanes will only be utilized for the BRT buses,” Jongoy said.
When asked about the total count of removed traffic lights, Jongoy answered that there has only been one so far, located at the intersection of Osmeña Blvd. and R.R. Landon St.
As to the affected intersections, he assured that there will be CCTO personnel who will manage the traffic flow in the area.
“As what is observed presently, the R.R. Landon intersection is closed with a board up. But with the assistance of the contractor, we have opened a temporary U-turn slot across CNU (Cebu Normal University), for vehicles to use as access to R.R. Landon coming from Osmeña Blvd,” he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about the cost of the current traffic lights per intersection, Alba said that it’s around P10 million.
He said the cost depends on the number of corners in the location and the quantity of traffic lights installed.
“More or less kay naa may intersection na (with) four corners and back-to-back lights. Naa sad uban na mas daghan og lights,” Alba stated.
He also pointed out that certain components utilized in the current modernized traffic lights are not entirely new.
“Not all the equipment are brand new. Some have been recycled from our old (traffic light) system,” Alba said in Cebuano, noting that some of the light posts and lights were recycled.
“Some of the posts are old, and so are some of the lights. We just cleaned them up,” Alba added in Cebuano.