Lapu-Lapu commuters urged to take ferry

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza yesterday called on residents who regularly commute to Cebu City to use the ferry service when repair work on the Marcelo Fernan bridge and the old Mandaue-Mactan bridge starts on Monday, Feb. 25.

“We are calling on the people to bear with this project as it will benefit us all, Plan your schedules early, be an hour or two ahead of your appointments if you are using the bridge.” she said.

The mayor has directed City Hall to do the necessary measures to prepare the ferry terminal for the influx of passengers who will use the ferry service as an alternative mode of transportation.

“We are assigning a team to check and ready the ferry terminal. It is just proper for the city to assist them,” Radaza said.

She has likewise requested the police and the coast guard to enhance security in the terminal to ensure the safety of the passengers.

Frank Brazil, head of Lapu-Lapu City’s Traffic Management System (CTMS), said they will be fielding additional traffic enforcers along M.L. Quezon Highway where traffic flow is expected to get congested.

He said when the repairs start, all vehicles bound for Mandaue City will still be allowed to pass through the Marcelo Fernan bridge as it will still be open to traffic. They will begin to close the Mandaue-bound lane when workmen start laying asphalt.

The city government together with the Department of Public Works and Highways will embark on a massive information drive on how traffic will flow while the bridge is under repair.

Steady
Except for the damaged asphalt pavement, the 39-year-old Mandaue-Mactan bridge remains stable.

Eda de Guzman, chief of the maintenance section of the DPWH 6th Engineering District, however said that the infrastructure is only passable to vehicles with six wheels and below.

“It’s foundation is safe. There were people who dove into the sea to check its foundation. But unlike the Marcelo Fernan bridge, we have to limit the weight of vehicles that pass through the old bridge,” she told reporters yesterday.

De Guzman said rehabilitation work will be done on the asphalt pavement of the two-lane bridge starting Monday, Feb. 25.

Asphalting each lane, she said, would take about eight days to finish.

“We will be opening (for traffic) one lane at a time but only for vehicles going to Mactan so as not to delay those who have scheduled flights in the airport,” De Guzman said.

Vehicles from Mactan to Mandaue City have to pass through the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

De Guzman said they are hoping to finish asphalting the pavements on March 12 before they will proceed working on the Marcelo Fernan bridge.

Project contractor Peter Dy of PLD Construction said they will try to finish the rehabilitation of the old bridge before the target date.

“We will be working 24/7. Rains would definitely stop asphalting works but we know bad weather will be minimized as summer approaches,” Dy said./Norman V. Mendoza and Ador Vincent S. Mayol