OSMEÑA: NO CEASEAND-DESIST ORDER FOR UNDERPASS

Pesquera asks Osmeña to issue a CDO against the underpass project until DPWH can expand the road

Why is Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña against stopping the ongoing construction of the multi-million underpass project on N. Bacalso Ave.?

In his news conference yesterday, the mayor said issuing a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) now will only worsen the traffic congestion in the area.

“Why should I stop this project? You can’t use the road right now. Were going to make it worse. It’s there already. Can you use the road right now if you stop it?” he added.

Last week, opposition Councilor Joy Pesquera requested the loBLAMED cal chief executive to issue a CDO against the underpass project until DPWH can expand the road.

In an executive session last April 3, Engr. Roy dela Cruz, DPWH project engineer, said that once the project is finished, there will be one side road each for northbound and southbound lanes.

Both northbound and southbound roads of the underpass will also have one lane each for vehicles. He explained that the project’s budget can only afford one lane each for the tunnel, and one lane each for the side roads.

But some councilors, including Pesquera, believed that the roads should have been widened first before the underpass’s construction started.

Because of this, Pesquera, a lawyer, said that if the underpass will fail to address the traffic congestion in the area as planned, she will be filing graft cases against DPWH.

But for Osmeña, before issuing a CDO, DPWH should be allowed to negotiate with the lot owners for the acquisition of a road-right-of-way (RRW).

“If DPWH can widen the road and you can use the road right now to help the people, why not? But if were just going to stop the work so they can widen the road, but you can’t use the road, what’s the point?” he said.

According to Dela Cruz, DPWH already has a budget for the expansion of the side roads, but their office is still working on the RRW acquisition. Osmeña welcomed this as a good development.

“Good. They should get the RRW, build the RRW, then when the cars can use the RRW, then we can stop and finish this one,” he added. /