DPWH hit for Lapu traffic jam

A three-hour traffic jam caused by the presence of engineering equipment on both lanes of Maximo Patalinjug Avenue, barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, didn’t just inconvenience ordinary motorists.

A peeved Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza approached the construction crew and ordered them to temporarily stop the concreting of the one-kilometer stretch of road.

“Kung napay mas bug-at anang dismaya mao na akoa gibati karon (If there is anyone else who is angrier about this, that’s how I feel),” a fuming Radaza told reporters yesterday.

Work by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) blocked both lanes of the road forcing motorists to find a detour.

Radaza said the contractor blocked the road at past 7 a.m., a peak period for traffic as employees and students head off to work and school.

She said she was disappointed with the DPWH for failing to coordinate with her office on this. The mayor said the road should be concreted at 10 p.m. when vehicle flow is lower.

Radaza said she was informed by the DPWH project manager about the delayed delivery of their equipment.

Project engineer Nelson Cabezas said they informed the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) about the road concreting, which is expected to be completed in six months.

“But they shouldn’t be doing this during peak hours,” Radaza said. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos