Airport terminal, Mactan road widening projects up for Cebu

An international airport terminal project and a widened circumferential road are among the big ticket projects lined up by the Aquino administration for Cebu.

President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet officials attended the groundbreaking of the 26-km Mactan Island circumferential road in barangay Ibo, Lapu-Lapu City that will extend to neighboring Cordova town.

“It will be cheaper to set up businesses in the Mactan Economic Zone because delivery time for products and services will be faster,” Aquino said, adding that it will also cut travel time from Cebu City to Lapu-Lapu City by 15 minutes.

The road-widening project is scheduled for completion next year and will cost P3.7 billion.

The amount will be sourced from the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo said one kilometer of the road widening project will consist of five lanes, while two kilometers will have four lanes and the rest will have two lanes.

The President also mentioned about the P17.5 billion Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) passenger terminal building which would increase accommodation of passenger volume by 10 million.

The project was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in November last year and has 11 bidders.

“We believe that there will be more tourist arrivals and therefore the facilities have to be there so that we can maximize the tourism industry for all Cebuanos,” President Aquino said.

Mr. Aquino also disclosed there were feasibility studies on three bridge projects connecting Cebu to Mactan, Bohol and Negros Oriental.

“These are feasibility studies. The Regional Development Council (RDC) again formed the resolution in 2007 and this was endorsed to the DPWH,” he said. With Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus