DPWH to pitch Mandaue underpass traffic plan

A public works official will meet with stakeholders today about the United Nations (UN) Ave. underpass project in Mandaue City, which the agency wants to start next month.

Plans for preventing traffic congestion once construction starts are expected to come up.

“We have sent invitations for a stakeholders’ meeting at 2 p.m. today. All stakeholders are invited so we can brief them about the traffic scheme, the implementation schedule and other aspects before starting the underpass project,” Canlas said.

Kenneth Cobonpue, chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7, welcomed the DPWH’s invitation and said he looked forward to hearing the agency’s plans to lessen traffic congestion once the work starts.

Cobonpue and Glenn Soco, chairman of the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) of the RDC, previously questioned the underpass project, pointing out the lack of detours or alternate routes to prevent traffic congestion that could harm the economy.

Soco said the ongoing underpass project in Mambaling, Cebu City is glaring proof that traffic congestion wastes money, time, and opportunities. He recommended providing alternate routes or widening UN Ave. before building the underpass.

On a related matter, the IDC chairman said he is waiting for the completion of the Cebu Transport Master Plan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which was scheduled in October this year.

With the plan in place, the IDC can more thoroughly evaluate road projects that DPWH will submit for the RDC’s endorsement.

One pilot project is the intersection in Lapu-Lapu City near the old Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, where the traffic signal system can reportedly be made more efficient.

“Once we have the master plan, we will now know what the best mode of intervention will be at the time DPWH will submit to the IDC-RDC their project proposals,” Soco said.

Soco said Congress should not entertain any project proposal by DPWH without an endorsement from the IDC and RDC.

“The function of the RDC is to endorse any project that is aligned with our developmental plan. The RDC is the highest policy body of the region, so that we will align all the projects according to the master plan,” Soco said.

He added that if Congress or the National Government will change the projects already evaluated and endorsed by RDC, problems may arise.

“But we, in the RDC, will make sure that we will monitor developments of all the projects that we endorsed,” Soco said.