BRIDGE PLAN ASSURES NO DEMOLITION
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña says bridge approach to be built in SRP instead Osmeña says he will be in the groundbreaking in Cordova
Saying he doesn’t want any demolition to happen because of the project, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he pushed for the revision of the plan where approaches of the multi-billion Cebu-Cordova third bridge will be built.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said he decided to ask the proponent to build the approach of the bridge in Cebu City side at the South Road Properties (SRP), so the project will not affect houses in Barangays Pasil and Ermita.
Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, during his term, wanted the approach to be built in Barangay Ermita, particularly along the Guadalupe River.
“I made changes in the design of the third bridge and the change is that I corrected the plans of Michael Rama, so that now there will be no demolition in Pasil,” Osmeña said.
Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC), through its subsidiary, the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp., will build and operate the bridge.
He also confirmed that he will be joining the groundbreaking ceremony of the project on Thursday in Cordova since his role during the program was already clarified.
Osmeña is set to give his message during the program.
The P27.9-billion third bridge project will be undertaken through public-private partnership (PPP).
MPTDC entered an agreement last year for a joint venture with the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova for the bridge.
Osmeña also confirmed that in 2013, when he was still serving as representative of the city’s south district, he was not in favor of the construction of the third bridge because he wanted a tunnel or roll-on, roll off port from Cebu City to Cordova because it was cheaper.
“But they want to spend more money on the third bridge, that’s okay. Grasya na gyod na (That’s a blessing),” he said. /