THE skywalk near Fuente Osmeña Circle, currently undergoing demolition, will not have a temporary replacement.
Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo, infrastructure committee chairman, on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, said the Arlington St. Fuente Osmeña Circle area, which was temporarily closed on Thursday, Feb. 15 for public safety, will be passable again by Monday, Feb. 19.
Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project manager Norvin Imbong said they will finish dismantling the structure by Sunday, Feb. 18.
In the meantime, Guardo suggested deploying traffic personnel in the area to aid pedestrians in crossing the street.
He emphasized the convenience, especially for senior citizens, of using ground-level pedestrian crossings over skywalks.
The skywalk was constructed years ago due to the presence of center islands, that made it impossible for the public during that time to cross directly.
Pedestrian crossing
Guardo said the CBRT contractor will build a pedestrian crossing and install traffic lights as part of the CBRT project.
However, this construction will coincide with the completion of package one of the CBRT project.
Skywalk demolition
The CBRT contractor, Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd., is undertaking the demolition of the skywalk to pave the way for the CBRT construction.
As of Friday, the skywalk near Fuente Osmeña was already without its roof.
A portion of Osmeña Blvd., specifically near Fuente Osmeña Circle, has been temporarily closed since Thursday, Feb. 15, due to the debris and cracks found at the skywalk.
The Cebu City Transportation Office also implemented temporary traffic rerouting.
Guardo admitted that the removal of the skywalk has caused inconvenience to the public, which is why they are expediting the process.
Guardo said the skywalk was divided into five slabs, and each one will be removed individually.
Salvaged useful materials will be kept at the South Road Properties for audit by the Commission on Audit.
Guardo said slabs may be repurposed as footbridges, pending evaluation and recommendation from structural engineers regarding their viability and integrity.
He said structural engineers will check the slabs for viability after dismantling, considering the vibrations caused by the jackhammer during removal.
He added that the stairs will be demolished on weekends to prevent traffic congestion.
Imbong said after removing the skywalk near Fuente Osmeña Circle, they will proceed to remove the remaining skywalk on Osmeña Blvd., near Cebu Normal University.
Its removal will be scheduled during weekends.