Tomas O: Roro port, underwater tunnel not 3rd bridge over channel

PUTTING up a roll-on, roll-off (Roro) port in Cebu City and Cordova town in Mactan island would be a cheaper and short term solution to the traffic congestion in the Mactan Channel bridges, Cebu City south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña said.

The Roro ferry service Osmeña said could be from Cebu City’s pier 1 or at the back of the Compania Maritima Building or the Malacañang sa Sugbo to the Shell island which is just about 500 meters across the Mactan Channel.

Shell Island is just separated by knee deep water from Cordova town.

Long-term solutions according the lawmaker would be the Bus Rapid Transit system from Cebu City to the Mactan Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City and an underwater tunnel from Cebu City to Cordova town.

Osmeña is opposed to the proposal to build a third bridge which would connect Cebu City to Cordova town.

Osmeña said big ships would normally need a 50-feet deep sea. The proposed underwater tunnel may be built beyond the required depth.

In comparison, a bridge that will be built in the area should have a height of a 10 story building which is also the normal height for big ships.

That would destroy important landmarks of Cebu City like the old port or aduana, Plaza Independencia, the City Hall and the Magellan’s Cross.

The proposed third bridge he said would have to start along Colon Street in downtown Cebu City.

“If we build a bridge it will cost more than the BRT. An undersea tunnel will even be cheaper than building a bridge,” he added.

Cebu 1st district Rep. Eduardo Gullas and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama share the opinion that the congestion which was felt because of the ongoing bridge repair was an indication that time has already come to consider the establishment of 3rd bridge which will be placed in the south.

The south district lawmaker, former Cebu city mayor and mayoralty candidate took the issue to throw potshots at his opponent.

“See how intelligent Mike Rama is?” said Osmeña, who added he is surprised why the mayor is now pushing for the bridge and yet opposed to the flyover projects proposed in the city.

“A bridge is nothing but a flyover” he added.

Meanwhile, Osmeña said that a bridge from Cordova town to Talisay City that is being proposed by Gullas is also “not feasible” because it was long and expensive and could cost as much as $1 billion.

Gullas who is on his 3rd and last term as 1sr district representative in Congress is seeking the mayoralty of Talisay City in the May 13 election.

Mayor Rama however maintains his support to the proposed 3rd bridge.

A bridge compared to a roro transport is better because it is all-weather and more comfortable.

On the impact of the 3rd bridge to old Cebu City, Rama said, that should not be a problem.

“Nganong iya mang problemahon nga dili man siya ang mo design. Ug siyay pabuhaton dili na niya mahimo,” he said.

(Why is he considering it a problem, he is not the one who will design it. If he would be asked to the design, he cannot do it.)