CEBU CITY—A third bridge to link Mactan Island and mainland Cebu will help ease traffic congestion in Metro Cebu,
according to a group that has been opposing the construction of flyovers in the city.
“The bridge would allow traffic from Talisay (City) and beyond from the south to cross over Mactan without having to cross Cebu and Mandaue cities,” said Marc Canton, lead convenor of the Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC).
It will also serve as an iconic “gateway” to Cebu and a monument that could be included in the preparation for the 500th anniversary of Cebu as the “Cradle of Christianity” in Asia in 2021, the MLC said.
The proposed 6-kilometer span will start at South Road Properties in Cebu City, pass through Shell Island and end at Cordova town where it will connect to the Mactan circumferential road.
It will be economical since the cost of the structure is low due to the short distance from Shell to Cebu mainland, said the project designer, Dean Joseph Michael Espina of the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (Cafa) of the University of San Carlos.
With connecting roads, it is also expected to help develop poor communities nearby, as well as Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town.
Espina said the proposal was the group’s way of addressing the needs of the population as part of its advocacy to make Cebu a sustainable and livable community. “Instead of flyovers, why not (the government) concentrate on this?” he said.
Aside from the third bridge, the MLC proposed that a loop be laid around a historic district in Cebu City to include a new park and a road network.
“The area is historic as defined, where the Katipuneros fought the Spanish regime,” Canton said. “It would be good if we could honor their memory with the park.”
“If we define this historic zone, it will be very easy for the city to control developments here in terms of ordinances which promote ‘walkability,’ bike lanes and all that,” Espina said.
The MLC proposal also covers a nearby fish port similar to California’s Fisherman’s Wharf. “Now, tourists can travel to Carbon Market, to the park and to the fish port,” Espina said.
The loop would start from the bridge approach toward Tres de Abril Street to the southern portion of Colon Street, then to Carbon Market and back to the bridge.
Since the proposal is still being conceptualized, the MLC could not give specific details. Espina acknowledged that funding would most likely be an issue.