Underpass’ side roads accessible by Nov 24

CEBU, Philippines — The northbound and southbound side roads of the P638-million underpass project along Natalio Bacalso Avenue will be exclusively accessible for Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) and private vehicles only, at least for now.

Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) Operations Chief Francisco Ouano said even though the side roads will be available to traffic by November 24, buses, delivery trucks and mini buses would not be allowed to access the area since only one lane of both side roads are available.

"Dili pwede ang buses and mga trucks tungod kay dili pa ingon ana ka lig-on. Then gi-prioritize nato ang PUJs," he told reporters yesterday.

With this, all southbound and northbound buses, mini buses, and delivery trucks are still advised to pass through Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR).

Last Monday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-7 Project Engineer Roy Dela Cruz has announced that commuters and motorists will experience moderate flow of traffic in the south district starting November 24.

The contractor, WT Construction Inc., has completed the concreting of the side lanes.

Dela Cruz decided to open the side roads in order to ease the horrendous traffic in the south.

Since August 2017, the public started to experience heavy traffic in the south due to the construction of the underpass project.

At present, the contractor is concreting the remaining 50 meters of the northbound side roads – the reason why only southbound side road is available to PUJs, motorcycles, and private vehicles.

The said lane was utilized by northbound vehicles. All southbound vehicles will access the identified diversion routes such as Caimito Street, E. Sabellano Street, among others.

The underpass project is now 81 percent complete after WT Construction has done with its phase IV, which is near the shopping center in the northbound lane of N. Bacalso Avenue.

Right now, the contractor is working on the phase V and VI, which is the center portion of the underpass project.

The involved activities are excavation, road concreting of the main roads, and others.

The projected date of completion will be on May 28, 2019.

The underpass project is composed of six phases. The first phase is in front of a fast food chain, the second is in front the shopping center.

For the third phase is located near corner F. Llamas Street and fourth is in the northbound lane of N. Bacalso Avenue.

The fifth and sixth is in the middle portion of project. — GAN (FREEMAN)