UN Avenue rehabilitation put on hold

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways-sixth engineering district did not push through with the rehabilitation and improvement of the 300-meter portion of the United Nations Avenue in Mandaue City pending the approval of the DPWH regional office.

Glenn Antigua, operations chief of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team), told The FREEMAN that the rehabilitation of UN Avenue leading to Mactan-Cebu International Airport is supposed to start yesterday and will last for 101 days.

The project will cost P13.9 million.

A public advisory was issued and traffic enfor-cers were deployed along UN Avenue to assist those who will be inconvenient by the project.

Antigua said the engineering district was advised to put on hold the project since the regional office will be undertaking the tri-level flyover at UN Avenue and Plaridel-Cansaga Bay Bridge by this year.

The flyover is seen to help decongest traffic in the city.

The UN Avenue intersection is the busiest in Metro Cebu since it is one of the access roads going to the airport and the mainland of Lapu-Lapu City.

"Naa na gyud atong mga personnel didto pero giingnan man 'ta nga dili madayon ang proyekto. Kung ang engineering district mopahigayon sa ilang rehabilitation, maguba ra pud gihapon kay naa ma'y underpass pagahimoon dihang dapita," Antigua explained.

If the project pushes through, the contractor will remove the asphalt and replace it with concrete pavement, particularly the road near the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

The city government has declared the whole stretch of UN Avenue a no stopping zone with the aim to solve traffic congestion.

This means, according to Antigua, public utility vehicles and private cars are only allowed to stop, load or unload passengers in designated areas. (FREEMAN)