"Minimal" traffic amid bridge repairs
Traffic in Lapu- Lapu City will be "minimal" even with the closure of one of the two lanes of the Mandaue- Mactan Bridge on April 2.
Frank Brazil, chief of City Traffic Management Systems, said t he Department of Public Works and Highways has a final schedule of the bridge repairs.
"The half lane of the bridge will be closed at night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. During daytime starting 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., two lanes of the bridge will be open to vehicles," Brazil said yesterday.
Brazil added that he and Glenn Antigua of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue agreed that Mandaue City will be closed at night.
"O, gisabutan na namo daan nga sila ang mu- close inig kagabii," Brazil said.
In a recent report, DPWH-7 regional director Ador Canlas said that JEGMA, the agency's contractor, will be working on removing asphalt and will be waterproofing the other lane of the bridge in the evening, while carbon retrofitting underneath the bridge will be done during daytime.
Even if CTMS is expecting less traffic in the city, Brazil said a diversion route starting from Sitio New Sangi Road, Barangay Pajo going to Sitio Matumbo, Barangay Pusok is still in place.
Brazil said eight CTMS enforcers will be deployed near the foot of the old bridge, including the Marcelo Fernan Bridge for traffic control.
He added that he will deploy personnel along the road heading to Kasamahan Wharf, once the area will be officially used for the barges coming from the neighboring piers of Cebu and Mandaue.
City Engineer Allan Pedrigal recently said they already finished fixing the wharf situated at Purok Gemelina, Barangay Poblacion while the residents i n t he area already removed some excess structures of their house to make way for the passing vehicles.
"Once i - open ang wharf, mo- deploy ta og tawo didto. Pero as of now wala pa man," Brazil said.
The bridge will be rehabilitated for five months and repairs be done on August 29, according to DPWH.