ONLY part of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge will be open to traffic for those going to and from the airport and other points in Mactan tomorrow morning until noon.

So if you need to go to the airport, leave three hours before your flight to avoid getting stuck in traffic while an international triathlon takes place in three Metro Cebu cities, traffic managers advised.

The entire Mandaue-Mactan Bridge, the older of two bridges linking Cebu mainland and Mactan, will be closed.

Two lanes of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge will be used for the bike competition during the Cobra Ironman 70.3 2016 Asia-Pacific Championship.

The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) announced that only two lanes of United Nations Ave., the left side going to the second bridge, may be used by vehicles going from and to Lapu-Lapu City.

Until noon

Glenn Antigua, chief for operations of Team, said the first bridge will continue to be closed tomorrow until the triathlon ends.

The Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will close at 9 p.m. today as part of its ongoing repairs. It will be reopened to traffic probably between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. tomorrow.

“The cut-off time (for the 90-kilometer bike leg of the triathlon) is 12 noon. Kung naa pay nag-bike automatic na ikarga sa sakyanan (If there are still triathletes on their bicycles on the road after 12 noon, they will be asked to board the organizers’ vehicles),” Antigua said.

While the activity is ongoing, Antigua said that people headed for Lapu-Lapu can still use UN Ave.

Motorists from Cebu City should take Lopez Jaena St., M.C. Briones St., turn right to UN Ave. and go to the second bridge.

Drivers coming from Mandaue City proper are advised to use S.B. Cabahug St. to Pacific Mall, then turn right to U.N. Ave. and go straight to the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

Avoid SRP

If you have nothing urgent to do in Lapu-Lapu, put off your trip until after 1 p.m., said Frank Brazil, head of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS).

At least 90 traffic enforcers of CTMS will be deployed as early as 3 a.m. so they can prepare for the road closures within the city.

Starting early morning tomorrow, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) will also close the entire stretch of S. Osmeña Blvd. and the South Road Properties (SRP) for the triathletes’ safety.

From 5 a.m. to noon, these roads will be closed: the portion of S. Osmeña Blvd. along Mahiga Creek, particularly from the boundary of Mandaue City and Cebu City, up to Legaspi Ext., the tunnel and then the SRP.

“We ask the public to bear with us. Those who have important transactions near the race route should go there early or wait until the activity will finish, while those with no transactions in the area should stay at home to avoid inconvenience,” said lawyer Rafael Christopher Yap, CCTO acting department head.

A total of 117 traffic enforcers will be deployed along the race route and nearby intersections in Cebu City to supervise traffic.

Route changes

Those bound for Cebu City’s port area may use Legaspi Ext. and Arellano Blvd. or enter through the Pier 1 gate.

All vehicles coming from the north passing through Logarta St. must turn right to Cabahug St. or go straight to SM, then on to their destination.

Public utility jeepneys (PUJ) coming from North Bus Terminal and passing through Logarta St. will have to turn right to Cabahug St., proceed to Andres Soriano Ave., then on to their destination.

All vehicles coming from Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and Carcar that are bound for the North Reclamation Area can use N. Bacalso Ave., Imus New Road, and proceed to their destination.

As for commuters in the northern parts of Metro Cebu, two lanes of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be open 24 hours starting on Monday, Aug. 8, said Engr. Danilo Pasicaran of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7.

Pasicaran said that 60 percent of the bridge repairs has been accomplished. The remaining works are intended for the U-turn slots. An agreement has yet to be reached, however, with informal settlers who will be affected.

More cams

He said the repair was finished earlier than expected because DPWH asked the contractor to field more workers and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Meanwhile, Engr. Eda de Guzman of the DPWH 6th Engineering District reported that since January, a few incidents also contributed to the bridge traffic. These included 22 collisions, 30 cases of engine failure, four suicide attempts, and three suicides.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza inquired if the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) could fund her proposal to install additional bridge railings to prevent suicide attempts.

The board “noted” the query.

It also approved the request of the Traffic and security Monitoring System (TSMS) to buy and install additional security cameras on both bridges. These are estimated to cost P96,000 each.

There are 40 security cameras on both bridges, including the seven that are still being fixed but may be re-installed next week. Apple Grace C. Danuco, USJ-R Intern