Cagayan De Oro traffic spurs flyover frenzy

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—For a city that has seen traffic worsen in the last decade, the construction of three flyovers and another one in the drawing board may be the proverbial light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Residents were initially ecstatic when the P362-million Puerto-Sayre flyover opened late last month. The flyover, built through the initiative of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro City, 2nd District), was initially projected to cut travel time from the eastern fringes of the city to the city proper by 30 minutes.

But poor traffic management, undisciplined pedestrians and public utility vehicles that load and unload passengers anywhere have doused motorists’ enthusiasm.

“I was able to use it coming from Medina (Misamis Oriental), I think, on the same day it was inaugurated,” Patrick Absin, a Cagayan de Oro businessman, said.

“I was able to cross the intersection fairly fast but got tangled up in traffic upon reaching the bottom which is just about where the Bugo Public Market is. There were pedestrians and trisikads (pedal-pushed tricycles) crossing the highway. It is like running up a ramp and hitting a brick wall at the bottom,” Absin said.

The Puerto-Sayre flyover is the first of three built this year to ease traffic in a city that has grown from just 500,000 inhabitants 15 years ago to nearly a million residents today.

Traffic jams, unheard of in the 1990s, have become a daily nightmare for commuters and motorists. The congestion, especially around the city proper during peak hours, can reduce travel to a static crawl.

The city government is building two other flyovers—on a busy junction before Marcos Bridge and the other leading to the airport in Lumbia, bypassing a busy intersection leading to a crowded township.

The P119-million Macanhan flyover in Barangay Carmen, which began construction last July 1, is expected to be completed in the first week of November.

The P107-million C.M. Recto flyover just before Marcos Bridge is set to be finished at about the same time. Both are being touted by city officials as the answer to traffic congestion.

Rodriguez is planning yet another flyover in Barangay Lapasan next year. “This is part of a complete and comprehensive solution to the traffic problem of the city,” he said.

Jerome Soldevilla, speaking on behalf of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Industries, said the flyovers are a big help.

On a more somber note, Absin said the flyovers may be effective but are clearly just a temporary solution. “What we need is better traffic management and enforcement and maybe a 5-year or 10-year plan,” Absin said.

But if another one is built on the same short stretch of highway next year at least it would be like a roller coaster, he said. JB R. Deveza, Inquirer Mindanao