Mambaling flyover has most flaws

Of the four flyovers in Cebu City, the structure in barangay Mambaling needs the most corrections to ensure road safety based on a March 1 audit report of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

Opened in 2011, the newest flyover in the city has a sharp curve and is located near a pedestrian skywalk, which means people tend to cross the road at the foot of the flyover.

Citom recommended placing and strictly enforcing a “No Pedestrian Crossing ” sign and other hazard markers.

CDN observed that no no one is watching erring pedestrians who cross the foot of the flyover or drivers who make a U-turn there and violate a double solid yellow line in the road.

Coming from south Cebu, one can see that the Mambaling flyover in N. Bacalso Avenue has no lane separator to signal motorists into deciding whether to drive up or turn.

Some drivers make a sudden right turn from the outer lane to the flyover, a dangerous maneuver as most motorists are gaining speed on approaching the flyover.

As a temporary measure, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama asked the the private contractor to place barrels painted with yellow and black stripes to serve as a lane divider.

Citom recommended building a concrete lane divider up to to six meters long and adding cat’s eye markers for visibility at night.

The Citom safety audit of flyovers was prompted by the Feb. 23 vehicle accident involving a former Miss Mandaue beauty titlist, who suffered serious injuries and remains in the Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital in Cebu city.

Karina Gajudo, 21, was driving through the Banilad-Talamban flyover at 4 a.m., when her car hit a gray concrete divider that isn’t visible at night.

She lost part of her lower left leg, which had to amputated. Her boyfriend survived with minor injuries.

Her close friend and beauty pageant trainer Ana Maris Igpit ,who visited the hospital Tuesday, said Gajudo is in a “serious and unstable” situation.

“A call for prayer would be good. The family remains strong as ever for Karina. She is such a fighter. She really wants to get well,” she said.

Flyovers are national projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and identified with the district congressman.

A P110-million budget was allocated during the tenure of then congressman Antonio Cuenco.

Another P115 million was earmarked for road widening of side roads.

Asked yesterday what he suggests should be done with the Mambaling flyover, south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña said Citom recommendations should be followed.

Osmeña added tongue in cheek that the DPWH could try using the overpriced Asean lampposts as dividers.

‘We can use the lampposts, light them up and use them as lane divider. If drivers hit it, we can’t save the car but at least we can save a life,” Osmeña told Cebu Daily News.

DPWH 7 Information Officer Marie Mignon Nillama said plans to add safety signs there have to wait first till road widening of the side roads is finished.

She said a permanent location for the signs have to be identified but for now, DPWH has to finish acquiring road right of way.

Last week, DPWH Cebu City started to extend lane dividers and adding reflectorized cat’s eye markers in the approach of the Ayala flyover. An extended lane divider is also being build in the Tesda flyover.

Both are initiatives of the DPWH regional office after the Citom report.

The Mambaling flyover at N. Bacalso Avenue was opened in April 2011 in time to ease south-bound traffic for Holy Week.