CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has proposed building a skyway to ease traffic congestion in the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) corridor, framing the project as a key part of his “smart, sustainable and inclusive” Cebu City 2035 goals.
Why it matters
A skyway is an elevated roadway built above ground level to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity.
The plan targets the daily gridlock along M. Cuenco Avenue, one of the city’s worst traffic chokepoints affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters. As a resident of Barangay Talamban, Archival is personally familiar with the congestion.
The details
The proposal was a highlight of Archival’s “First 100 Days” report on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
The project would be funded through a public-private partnership, though specifics on the arrangement and potential tolls have not been released.
The scope of the plan also covers a second skyway for the southern corridor, stretching from Bulacao to the City Center.
This follows his administration’s recent implementation of a “traffic discipline zone” in the BanTal corridor, which aims to improve traffic flow through stricter enforcement of laws.
Zoom out: A broader
“smart city” vision
The skyway is the centerpiece of a wide-ranging plan to modernize Cebu City. Other long-term goals outlined for 2035 include:
Rethinking transport: Reviving the Cebu Cable Car project to connect the city’s highlands to the South Road Properties. A no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) and an e-traffic citation system are also being pushed to improve enforcement, reduce red tape and make payments more convenient.
Prioritizing pedestrians: Installing sky bridges between buildings to improve safety, accessibility and economic activity, and ensuring 90 percent of the city’s major roads have walkable sidewalks.
Building for disasters: Requiring all new buildings to meet stringent, disaster-resilient design standards to withstand high-intensity earthquakes and other calamities. The city also plans to build four “disaster-proof” evacuation centers — two in the North District and two in the South District. / EHP