Mactan-Mandaue bridge to be shut for procession
Aside from the roads that will be closed in Lapu-Lapu City for the fluvial procession on Jan. 20, the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will not be used for a few hours during the seaborne procession of the Sto. Niño.
Mario Napule, head of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS), said the bridge will be closed at 2:30 a.m.
He said they agreed with the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue that the latter will close the road leading to the bridge while the CTMS will also do the same on the Lapu-Lapu side.
All vehicles that will travel to and from Lapu-Lapu City on Jan. 20 are advised to use the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.
“Once masud na sa simbahan ang Santo Niño amo na i-open (the images of the Santo Niño and Our Lady of Guadalupe reach the Nuestra Señora Virgen Dela Regla (NSVDR) National Shrine, we will immediately open the bridge),” he said.
Napule attended the coordination meeting in Lapu-Lapu City Hall yesterday afternoon.
City Administrator Florito Pozon said that the crowd will be controlled within the NSVDR National Shrine, especially inside the church.
Nora Mangubat, representative of the NSVDR National Shrine, said those who will come first can have a seat inside the church, but they will not allow devotees who will stand after all the seats will be occupied.
The rest will be instructed to just stay outside.
Representatives of the CTMS, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Naval Forces Central, Vice Mayor’s Office, City Tourism Office, Department of Education, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City of LapuLapu Allied Force, Red Cross and City Public Information Office attended the meeting.