THE Cebu Provincial Government is eyeing the construction of a rotunda or roundabout at the intersection of UN Ave. corner Plaridel St. in Mandaue City to alleviate vehicular traffic from Lapu-Lapu City to the mainland and vice versa.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia told reporters on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, that the rotunda will be the first among many rotundas to be built in the province, adding she was inspired by the rotundas in Ormoc City when she recently visited the city.
However, no timeline has been given yet for the construction of the rotunda.
In March 2023, the Provincial Board passed a resolution urging the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to halt its road project at the intersection of UN Ave. and Plaridel St. The board recommended the installation of a rotunda instead of the planned underpass. There is currently no update on whether the DPWH will proceed with the underpass project.
In her visit to Ormoc City, Garcia met with Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez and her husband, Leyte Fourth District Rep. Richard Gomez. The three officials discussed the practicality of rotundas in the city in reducing traffic congestion at strategic intersections.
Garcia told the reporters that she wants to replicate Ormoc’s rotundas and install them on major intersections in the province, among which is the UN Ave. and Plaridel St.
“I went around Ormoc, you cannot see any traffic lights there. They are all rotundas,” Garcia said.
She said it was Congressman Gomez, when he was still the mayor of Ormoc City, who initiated the installation of the rotundas after he was inspired by the efficiency of the roundabouts in Europe.
“There is always moving traffic, no stationary traffic,” Garcia said.
The intersection of UN Ave. and Plaridel St. leads to the second Mactan-Cebu bridge, or the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
The intersection is also an alternative northbound route via the Cansaga Bridge, which sits at the boundary of Mandaue City and the municipality of Consolacion.
She said the proposed rotunda is not the size of the Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City; rather, this will be a smaller rotunda without a park.
Garcia said rotundas are more efficient compared to multi-level flyovers and tunnels in terms of budget requirements, while their construction causes less disruption to public traffic.
During a March 13 meeting at the Capitol in Cebu City, the Cebu the Provincial Government Public Information Office reported that Governor Garcia formed a technical working group (TWG) to conduct a feasibility study for a potential rotunda at the intersection of UN Ave. and Plaridel St. The TWG is co-chaired by the governor and Mayor Jonas Cortes, with DPWH 7 Director Ernesto Gregorio Jr. serving as vice chair. / EHP