Additional ferries for Cebu commuters amid bridge repairs

MORE ferries are needed to accommodate the influx of passengers from Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu City due to the ongoing repairs at the Mandaue-Mactan and Fernan bridges.

Acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale said this was one of several issues taken up by the Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) in a meeting with ferry operators last Tuesday.

The board also managed to convince the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the contractor to conduct their repairs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting last night.

Magpale said the ferry operators agreed to field more boats if there’s a bigger docking area.

She said the board is considering to ask President Benigno Aquino III to allow the province to use the docking area at the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

“So I’m preparing a letter to Malacañang if we can use the Malacañang sa Sugbo docking area,” Magpale said.

She said she hopes the new schedule will spare motorists the inconvenience of dealing with heavy congestion.

“The more the repairs are delayed, the worse our traffic will turn out,” she said.

The board is also considering to impose a truck ban on specific hours.

The Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS) reported yesterday that traffic flow was already smooth and they have not received any complaints from the passengers.

The DPWH said the quality of work on the bridge won’t be affected with the new schedule since they will finish the asphalt overlay in two weeks.

Engr. Renault Ricardo, DPWH assistant district engineer, said the work of PLD Construction will be supervised by their project engineer and project inspector.

Ricardo said PLD Construction owner Peter Dy promised to finish the asphalt overlay in two weeks.

After the asphalt overlay, the PLD personnel will start scraping one lane in the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

“We will be rehabilitating the Fernan bridge one lane at a time and once the asphalt dries, it will be opened to motorists,” Ricardo said.

Engr. Nigel Paul Villarete, Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) manager, said it would be better if they are provided with a 24-hour coverage of traffic flow “which they requested last time.” “But at least we are sure that the traffic volume is lower between 10 to 6 a.m., so there’s a higher probability it won’t result to (traffic) congestion,” he said.With Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza