Bridge work starts, motorists fume

MOTORISTS coming to and from Lapu-Lapu City started feeling the inconvenience caused by the rehabilitation of the old Mandaue-Mactan bridge that started early yesterday morning.

“Moabot gyod media oras sulod sa Poblacion area paingon sa MEPZ (Mactan Export Processing Zone). Init pa kaayo ang panahon usik pa gyud sa gasolina (It takes 30 minutes to enter the Poblacion area headed to MEPZ. The weather’s hot and the gasoline is consumed quickly),” said 39-year-old passenger jeepney driver Anecito Gimpisaw.

Frank Brazil, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS) said scores of vehicles in the Lapu-Lapu City area bound for Mandaue were squeezed into bumper-to-bumper traffic in the M.L. Quezon Highway yesterday afternoon.

“I instructed my traffic enforcers to prioritize vehicles from Lapu-Lapu City Public Market area to exit Marcelo Fernan Bridge for Mandaue and give second priority to vehicles from the airport area bound for Mandaue via Marcelo Fernan Bridge.” Brazil said.

Vehicles from Lapu-Lapu City bound for Mandaue formed a queue along M.L. Quezon Highway reaching all the way to the public market area.

Vehicles in Barangay Pusok area bound for Mandaue also formed a line at the Quezon Highwa.

Angie Toñacao, a 22-year-old hotel worker of Mandaue City, woke up at 4 a.m. so she can get out of the house and catch a  jeepney at 5 a.m. She arrived at the hotel in Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City at 7 a.m.

Dreaded traffic

While yesterday was a holiday, Toñacao said she dreaded what today’s traffic may look like. “How would traffic be once classes resume?,” she said.

Mel Soroño, a 74 of barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City is also worried.

“I am aware of the advisory regarding the bridge repair but thinking it was a holiday, I thought it would just be fine taking the highway back to my home in Basak but I was caught in traffic for nearly 30 minutes,” he said.

Lapu-Lapu City Hall earlier issued notices on the bridge rehabilitation work in terminals, malls, markets and the MEPZ to inform the public of the  projected heavy traffic congestion.

The contractor started setting up barriers on the lane of the first bridge at 10 a.m.

Brazil thought that the Mandaue-Mactan bridge would be closed at 6 a.m. per an advisory issued at last week’s meeting of the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB).

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza earlier arranged with the Metro Ferry Terminal to put up tents and chairs for the increased number of passengers wanting to avoid the heavy traffic. “We have done this in the previous occasions like having big activities here in Lapu-Lapu and bridge repairs last year, we encourage passengers to better take the ferry boat if they are going direct to the Cebu City area,” Radaza said.

Ric Asuncion, Metro Ferry’s port supervisor, said there was a notable increase of passengers. /Norman V. Mendoza, Correspondent