Flyover won’t push through near church

CEBU CITY—The prayers of nuns at Asilo dela Milagrosa church have been answered.

The proposed flyover project in front of the church will no longer push through after a traffic impact study prepared by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Project Monitoring Office showed that it was not feasible.

Instead, the DPWH recommended that an underpass be built to ease traffic at the intersection of Gorordo Avenue and Archbishop Reyes Avenue where the church compound is located.

If an underpass were to be built, both sides of Gorordo Avenue would have to be widened to accommodate two additional lanes, one on each side.

Nuns of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who run the church and orphanage inside the compound on Gorordo Avenue, resorted to prayer power in fighting off the proposed flyover project.

The nuns expressed fears that the flyover would disrupt church services. The proposed flyover would have eaten at least 3 meters off the church grounds including part of the garden where a grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located and part of the church’s front yard.

The flyover on the intersection of General Maxilom Avenue and M.J. Cuenco Avenue here is likely to push through, however, after its proponents settle right of way issues.

Carmelito Tizon, of the DPWH’s Project Monitoring Office, gave a briefing on the impact study on the project at the DPWH Central Visayas office on Tuesday.

Tizon said the impact study was prepared to determine the traffic characteristics of certain intersections and identify solutions to bottlenecks.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who was opposed to putting up more flyovers in the city, said he wanted private engineers and urban planners to review the DPWH traffic study to revalidate the need for a flyover on General Maxilom and M.J. Cuenco avenues.

Former Rep. Raul del Mar, who represented his daughter, Rep. Rachel Marguerite del Mar, in the DPWH presentation, said the DPWH traffic impact study validated the need for flyover projects in Cebu City’s north district.

Both father and daughter support a plan to build a network of flyovers in Cebu, which is being opposed by the multisectoral group Movement for Liveable Cebu (MLC).

The 3,000-strong MLC has instead called for better enforcement of traffic laws, widening of roads and the opening of streets to nonpolluting modes of mass transport, bikers, skate boarders and pedestrians.

Del Mar said he and his daughter, Representative Rachel, did not oppose the DPWH recommendation to build an underpass instead of a flyover in front of the church.

A P600-million budget has been set aside for the two flyover projects in General Maxilom and near Asilo dela Milagrosa church.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson earlier suspended construction of the two projects pending the conduct of a feasibility study and amid opposition from Rama and antiflyover groups.