Vertical clearance of utility, telco wires increased

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Council has approved an ordinance increasing the minimum height requirement of vertical clearance for utility and telecommunication cables and lines.

The ordinance is authored by Councilor Jerry Guardo.

“It is the duty of the Cebu City Government to protect and safeguard the public from the low lying aerial cables and lines, and to ensure the construction of future developments and road improvements and widening,” read the measure.

“In order to protect these cables and lines from damage or relocation and future development and construction of improvement and road widening, the increase in the minimum height requirement of vertical clearance for utility and telecommunication cable wires/lines is indispensable,” it added.

Under the ordinance, all public and private utilities, such as but not limited to Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Globe Telecommunication (GLOBE), Smart Telecommunication (SMART), Bayan Telecommunication (BAYANTEL), Sun Cellular Telecommunication, SKY Cable, Cebu Cable, Eastern Telecommunication, and all other public and private utility entities which have telecommunication and cable lines that are crossing, traversing, and along the roadways of Cebu City shall increase from its present height of 16 feet (4.87 meters) to 18 feet (5.48 meters) from the concrete pavement in crossing and traversing the roadways of the city.

This, provided that, in rough and uneven surface/roads, the 18 feet (5.48 meters) height should be designed to allow adjustments in case the surface/road is concreted later on.

Utility companies that own poles within the city shall install brackets on their respective poles where telecommunication cables and lines are to be attached.

These brackets shall be installed at 20 feet (6.1 meters) from the ground and shall have designated horizontal space assignment for the telecommunication lines and cables of each utility. In the event the bracket is already full of cables, the pole owner is required to install another layer of bracket above the existing bracket.

Telecommunication cables and lines that are crossing the roadways shall be installed with a tension limiter in series with the messenger wire by which the telecommunication lines and cables are laid over, bundled with or suspended from.

The city government, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and/or utility companies shall install vertical clearance limiter at strategic roads to prevent the passage of trucks with a gross height of more than 18 feet from dragging its cables and lines, or breaking and collapsing the pole/s.

The installation of the telco bracket and tension limiters shall prioritize roads with low-lying telecommunication cables as determined by both power and telecommunication companies; roads frequently passed by big trucks and heavy equipment as determined by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO); roads where main telecommunication cables pass through as determined by the utility companies; and on major thoroughfares such as Osmeña Boulevard, General Maxilom Avenue, Colon Street, Gorordo Avenue, among others. — JMD (FREEMAN)