DPWH seeks P800M budget for Cebu city
The details almost went unnoticed in a long list of new government projects proposed for national funding in 2013.
A request to approve two additional flyovers for Cebu City that would cost P800 million didn’t escape the scrutiny of a screening committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) for Central Visayas yesterday.
One flyover is proposed near the Mabolo church, and the other is at a junction a distance from the Carmelite Monastery.
Both will cross intersections of Juan Luna Avenue formerly called San Jose dela Montaña.
“We did not approve the two (flyover) projects for the final submission of budgeting because it lacks the (endorsement) of the City Development Council,” said Manny Rabacal, head of the RDC Infrastructure and Development Committee.
The request for RDC endorsement was made by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) for several projects in the agency’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2013 Infrastructure Program.
Rabacal said the proposed flyover near the Carmelite monastery was similar to the one strongly opposed in 2006 by the Carmelite nuns, who said increased traffic in an overpass would violate the solemnity of their cloister.
The nuns’ complaint derailed the project of then Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar, and funds were rechanneled to build the Banilad-Talamban flyover in 2007.
This time however, the DPWH is proposing a flyover in a different direction. Instead of running parallel to the Carmelite monastery, the agency plans to build one in the nearby junction of Juan Luna Avenue and F. Cabahug Street for vehicles traveling between Cebu City and Mandaue City.
Since the CDC is headed by Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, who has lobbied with President Benigno Aquino III against building more flyovers without an updated Cebu traffic master plan, an endorsement won’t be easy to get.
A furor was raised last year in Cebu City over two proposed flyovers in other locations, including one near the Asilo dela Milagrosa, and forced DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson to suspend all flyover construction in Cebu because of strong objections from heritage and environment advocates, urban planners, traffic managers and Mayor Rama.
Rabacal told Cebu Daily News yesterday the IDC, which he chiars, needs to be “extra careful” with endorsing projects to avoid conflicts over implementation.
Engineer Nonato Paylado, assistant DPWH-7 chief for planning and design division said his office is already seeking approval of the CDC.
“If flyovers would be an obstacle to the CDC, i-minus lang usa ang flyovers (we’ll just remove the flyovers),” he told reporters later so this won’t delay endorsement for other priority projects in Cebu City.
Rep. Cutie del Mar, in a separate interview, said she wanted the two new flyovers built in her north district to ease traffic congestion.
“These flyovers are designed for continuous traffic flow in the area, which are now the busiest commercial and residential areas in the city,” she said.
She said she was ready to explain the projects’ merits to the CDC if needed.
Del Mar has two other pending DPWH flyover projects which were suspended after drawing heated opposition from environment advocates and urban planners pushing for a “sustainable Cebu”.
One is planned for Gorordo Avenue near the Asilo dela Milagrosa, while the other is along M.J. Cuenco Cuenco.
Both were already bidded out to contractors and ready to start construction, but no work has begun after President Aquino’s ordered DPWH to do a traffic study to find out if the projects are really needed.
“I’ll do what I can . I’ll probably ask for endorsement (from the CDC),” said del Mar, who said this would be “good for everyone.”
If the CDC doesn’t approve it “ at least people wil see that I’m trying to be pro-active.”
The long list of priority projects presented by DPWH yesterday includes roads, bridges, road upgrading in each legislative district in Central Visayas.
Engr. Leah Negre of the DPWH-7 presented them in the IDC-RDC meeting yesterday.
Rabacal said that while the briefing was going on, the committee noticed the entry of two flyovers under Cebu City.
The flyovers were listed under National Arterial and Secondary Roads and Bridges “to address traffic decongestion”.
The flyover projects have a total cost of P859,741,000 which includes the improvement of the road to Salinas Drive and the road widening and concreting in Talamban Road.
Each flyover will be 400 meters long.
Of the total amount, P430 million were allocated for the flyovers themselves.
One flyover is worth P230 million for the juncture of Juan Luna Avenue and MJ Cuenco Avenue near the St Joseph the Patriarch Parish of Mabolo.
The other flyover will be in the junction of Juan Luna Avenue and Cardinal Rosales Avenue-F. Cabahug Street near the Carmelite monastery worth P200 million.
The RDC full council will meet on March 26.
The Infrastructure Development Committee has to prepare its endorsements before then.
“Those projects can’t be implemented without the endorsement of the city where it belongs. We have to ccordinate and get the approval of the LGU,” Rabacal said.
It’s standard procedure for agencies to secure the LGU’s endorsement before asking the higher-level RDC to endorse a program, he said.
The DPWH told Rabacal the agency has already written to the City Development Council for endorsement but has received no reply yet.
Actually, the CDC convened yesterday and had a simultaneous meeting with the RDC-IDC, but the flyovers were not discussed.
Asked if these two new project are part of Del Mar’s envisioned network of flyovers in Cebu City, Paylado told CDN: “Probably. But we are not really allowed to talk about it.”
Rafael Yap, Cebu City Traffic Operations management (Citom) executive director, said he wasn’t aware of any public consultation fo these.
“As far as the city is concerned, no consultation was done in the LGU so no endorsement was given,” Yap told reporters.
“So many parties still need to be consulted,” Yap said.
The debate over the impact of flyovers in Cebu City’s worsening traffic gave birth to the Movement for a Liveable Cebu.
It also spurred business leaders led by Roberto Aboitz to push for expert urban planning for a “Mega Cebu” that coordinates urban growth across boundaries of 13 cities and municipalites.
Nuns of the the Asilo dela Milagrosa used novena prayers and vigils to oppose the proposed Gorordo flyover, saying the road setback would destroy portions of the church property while heritage advocates said a massive flyover would diminish the cultural and heritage value of the area. With Chief of Reporters Doris Bongcac
