P771MroadprojecteyedinMandaue

To alleviate traffic congestion on United Nations (UN) Avenue, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) is planning to construct a 600-meter depression road near the Marcelo Fernan Bridge this year.

The depression road will have a total of eight lanes. The four at the center are ‘depressed’ like a pseudo-underpass. These lanes will cater those who will pass the bridge.

The remaining four lanes located on the surface will be designated as service roads.

The service roads will be divided into two. The two lanes on the right are for vehicles traversing UN Avenue, but motorists have to take a turn before reaching the bridge and pass the service roads.

The other two lanes on the left, on the other hand, are for those traversing UN Avenue and are heading to MC Briones and Plaridel Streets.

This way, DPWH7 Maintenance Head Engineer Faustino Dela Cruz Jr. said the vehicles heading to different directions will not get mixed.

The project was presented by Dela Cruz during the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board yesterday.

He said the depression roads can help ease the traffic congestion on UN Avenue.

To prevent slowmoving vehicles on the fast lanes once the project is done, the general manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority said preventive measures have to be put in place.

According to DPWH7 Information Officer Marie Millano, the project has an approved budget of P771 million. It was approved in 2017 and was awarded to the winning bidder, the VM Marketing, a company based in Tacloban City.

Dela Cruz said the parcellary survey has begun this month and will run from six to eight months.

The survey, he said, will identify the roadright-of-way and areas that need to be acquired to pave the way for the road widening.

At present, UN Avenue has only four lanes.

Millano said the construction will commence in the second quarter of the year.

Under the design and build contract, VM Marketing has 910 calendar days or around two and a half years to complete the road project.

The company is also given 160 days allowance in case there are days that construction cannot resume for various reasons like unfavorable weather conditions.