CONSTRUCTION of a tunnel in Cebu City’s south district will push through within the year, reelected Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa said.
In addition to the tunnel project, Abellanosa said that more infrastructure projects from the national government may be poured into the city when the new administration assumes.
The congressman said the detailed engineering design of the P750-million tunnel has been completed and construction is expected to start three months from now, after all of the requirements are met.
“The project will push through. We’re just waiting for the contractor to start the project,” Abellanosa said.
The proposed tunnel is a two-lane, 700-meter-long facility, which is expected to help ease traffic on N. Bacalso Ave. It will start at the intersection of N. Bacalso Ave. and F. Llamas St.
N. Bacalso Ave. is a usually busy highway that serves motorists not only in the southern barangays of Cebu City but as well as those going to and from southern towns of Cebu.
The new project will be a Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) patterned after the one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which Abellanosa believes will also help solve the south district’s flooding problem.
Last year, outgoing Mayor Michael Rama opposed implementation of the project and ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to put it on hold, saying he wanted the nearby roads to be widened first.
Rama was referring to Sabellano St. and Tagunol Road leading to Jaca St., which are often congested.
Also, flood control projects funded by the national government are underway in the south district, Abellanosa said.
He said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is already preparing the program of works and estimates (POWE) for these projects, which will be implemented in some of the rivers and creeks.
“The challenge for me in my district is the flood problem. That’s always a problem. Medyo nalangay lang na karon because init pa kaayo but once the rain will come back, the problem will be felt again (We don’t have any flood risks these days, while it’s so hot, but once the rains start, we’ll feel the same problems again),” Abellanosa said.
Abellanosa said he is confident that more projects will be implemented in the city after he transferred to the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the political party of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Earlier, Abellanosa said he allied himself with PDP-Laban after leaving the Liberal Party because the interest of the residents of the city is his priority, so projects and programs will be carried out by the agencies and departments of the national government.
He also believes that Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña will be supportive of his efforts to get funds to back several infrastructure projects for the city.