THERE will be no road closures during the inauguration of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) Project, according to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, stressing that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) instructed that all roads should remain open during the event.
Archival also confirmed that the inauguration, originally scheduled for November 5, has been moved to November 7 due to Typhoon “Tino.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is still expected to lead the ceremony.
“We were informed by the DOTr that officials in Manila noticed possible weather-related problems on November 5, so the inauguration was moved to November 7. The President is still coming, hopefully it will push through,” Archival said in a press conference on Monday, November 3.
He added that the President’s route will be limited to Fuente Osmeña up to Cebu Normal University (CNU), and all other areas will remain open to traffic.
“There will be no road closures on any major road. The area where the President will pass, from Fuente to CNU, will be open as well,” he said.
To prevent a repeat of the heavy congestion experienced during the September 19 route inspection of the CBRT, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has updated its traffic management plan ahead of the inauguration.
Councilor Winston Pepito, chairman of the committee on transportation, said the City will deploy more traffic personnel, install additional road signage, and conduct a public information drive to ensure motorists are aware of traffic changes before the event.
“We will have more signage, road markings, and traffic personnel to manage the flow so that what happened during the September test run won’t happen again,” Pepito said in an earlier interview.
The additional signage near the CBRT’s dedicated lane will help inform motorists early about temporary adjustments and alternative routes.
While no major rerouting will be implemented, the CCTO will install advance signage several days before the event to guide motorists and minimize confusion similar to what happened during the September inspection, when traffic slowed due to unclear lane directions. (CAV)