New access road to IT Park to open this month

CEBU, Philippines - Before the month ends, traffic flow along Salinas Drive and Gov. Cuenco Ave. is expected to become smoother as the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) targets to open the access road within the province-owned Ciudad property soon.

The Cebu Provincial Government already gave the go signal for the use of the access road within the Ciudad Property leading to the IT Park.

Citom will soon be meeting with Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corporation (CPVDC), owner and developer of Asiatown IT Park Lahug to discuss the tearing down of a wall leading to the new road, which is within the 27-hectare property of IT Park.

Francis Monera, president of CPVDC said that they have yet to receive a word from CITOM as regards to the tearing down of the wall but said he welcomes the plan.

“With the city’s continuing bullish development, this is a necessary initiative to ease the flow of vehicles in the area,” said Monera.

CITOM head Rafael Christopher Yap said the opening of the new access road will lessen the volume of vehicles traversing Salinas drive.

“Traffic flow will be smoother,”  said Yap.

CITOM will also be coordinating with the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DPWH) for the asphalting of the road.

Yap assured that they will do their best to complete everything as soon as possible considering that the riding and foot traffic on Salinas Drive is getting heavier, especially with the increase of commercial establishments in the area.

Traffic congestion has been a problem in the area for a long time, said Yap.

 Apas Brgy Captain Ramil Ayuman also said they are happy with the decision to open the road in the provincial property, which is their wish for years.

Ayuman said that he has received numerous complaints from Apas residents on the traffic congestion in the area which prompted him to ask the city council to look for other options for road access.

The development of the Ciudad project in the Banilad-Talamban road has been stalled after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) declined the request for the Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Provincial Government and the developer, Fifth Avenue.

Last June, Fifth Avenue re-applied for an ECC. Suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia earlier pushed for the P1.2-billion project to be implemented as it will help in the long term decongestion of traffic in the area.

However, some city officials opposed to the project saying it will just worsen the traffic situation. — (FREEMAN)