Despite clashing on development issues, both Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district agreed that yesterday’s opening of the Guadalupe-Kalunasan bridge is good for the city.
The P6.2 million bridge connects Singson Village in Guadalupe to Opra in Kalunasan.
“This bridge project disproves criticisms that I haven’t done any project during my term as mayor,” Rama said during the bridge inauguration.
The congressman and former city mayor, who had clashed with Rama and anti-flyover groups, said the bridge is one of several components of the proposed Cebu City circumferential road project that he conceived back in 1995.
Osmeña cited a feasibility study on the circumferential road project that’s now with the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-7).
The study is part of the P120 million grant from the Organization of Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF).
Part of the funds was also spent on the feasibility study of the South Road Properties (SRP) and South Coastal Road (SCR).
According to the study, the circumferential road will start in barangay Tisa and will pass by South Hills, Good Shepherd, Tower O and to the Guadalupe-Kalunasan bridge.
It will continue to Beverly Hills where a tunnel will be built, to Lahug and will end near the Gustavian Restaurant located near Ma. Luisa Subdivision.
Osmeña said they included a tunnel section because it was easier to bore a hole on a hill at the Beverly Hills Subdivision instead of leveling off the hill to open a road.
He said the new road will serve as a parallel road to M. Velez and N. Escario Streets and Governor Cuenco Avenue and is expected to decongest traffic in these existing roads.
Osmeña said the proposed flyover projects in barangay Lahug are also a component of the the Cebu City circumferential road project which is part of the Metro Cebu Development Project 3..
But Osmeña said the circumferential road project was shelved because MCDP 3 only had a $1 billion loan from OECF.
“The circumferential project will be less costly than expected because some of its components are already there,” Osmeña said in reference to the Guadalupe-Kalunasan bridge project.
Osmeña said as early as 2011, he already saw the need to build a flyover near the Modesta Gaisano intersection and near JY Square in Lahug where traffic congestion is getting worse.
“But there is no particular rush to have the project done. It’s not yet needed today. And if congestion gets worse along Salinas Drive that will be good for the SRP (where new investment may be directed at),” he said.