Rain causes delay of underpass project

Bad weather has caused a delay in the construction of the P700-million underpass along N. Bacalso Ave. in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Engr. Roy dela Cruz, project engineer, said that among the affected activities is the patching of potholes in the alternative routes where traffic will be diverted once construction of the underpass starts.

“We were supposed to start working in Tagunol St. last Saturday, but we had to postpone it due to bad weather. Hopefully we can start again by tomorrow if the weather will be better,” he told reporters yesterday.

After repairing the road in Tagunol, dela Cruz said they will proceed with patching up the potholes on Rizal Ave. and Ganciang St. Once maintenance works in all interior roads that will be used as temporary thoroughfares are finished, dela Cruz said they can start constructing the underpass.

As for the parallel drainage system along Mambaling Elementary School, dela Cruz said the project has started.

He said the drainage line will divert all runoff water from F. Llamas St. so that it will not end up flooding the underpass.

Dela Cruz and a colleague, Engr. Joshua Monsanto, chief of the highway planning design section, assured that once it is opened, the underpass will reduce traffic bottleneck in the south.

Some members of the Cebu City Council have raised concerns on the accessibility of the lanes.

Monsanto said DPWH will the same six lanes in the N. Bacalso Ave., only that instead of the existing 3.05-meter (m) width, they will go with the standard size of 3.35-ms.

Dela Cruz also said that only private vehicles will be allowed to ply the underpass, while public utility vehicles will continue to use the side roads. /