Rama wants 3 roads widened

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama identified three major roads that need to be widened in time for two international activities starting next year.

These are the Gorordo Ave. from corner Escario to Salinas Ext.; Archbishop Reyes to Talamban Road and Talamban to Pit-Os Road.

Rama asked Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Cebu City District Engineer Nicomedes Leonor to include these three roads in the infrastructure projects to be poured in Cebu City in preparation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in 2015 and the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

Rama said he was told that P200 million worth of projects will be implemented in Cebu City.

Incidentally, DPWH is also contemplating on widening the Mambaling Access Road to the South Road Properties (SRP).

Study

SRP Manager Roberto Varquez told reporters yesterday that he met with DPWH 7 officials and construction firm Cedco Inc., headed by Lito de Dios, on the conduct of a
feasibility study on whether the Mambaling access road needs to be widened.

Cedco Inc. won the bidding for the conduct of the feasibility study on alternative routes that would bypass the City center. The study covers Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north.

The widening of the Mambaling access road is just a component of the study considering that the Cebu South Coastal Road is a road parallel to the main highway.

Varquez said the study will consider how big the widening will be, from a four-lane
road to either a six or eight-lane access.

Varquez said the SRP Management Office has marked a seven-meter extension of the Mambaling access road from the 26-hectare land where St. Pedro Calungsod’s templete stands.

This means that only about 25 hectares will be available for sale. SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Robinsons Land raised “intents” to buy the property.

When asked if SM, which is developing a property near the Mambaling access road, will be affected if the widening pushes through, Varquez said, “It’s good for them because this is widening.”

Major events

Cebu City will host major activities starting next year.

One of which is the gathering of the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) in February next year.

Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) Chairperson Rene Mercado was elected, unopposed, as the vice-chairperson of PAWD. There are more than 500 water districts under this umbrella organization.

Also next year, there will be a series of ministers meetings and conferences to be held in Cebu in relation to the Apec Summit 2015.

After that, the City will then prepare for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2016.

The Cebu City Government called for the first IEC meeting of the year yesterday at City Hall.

Rama also urged DPWH 7 to include drainage projects and traffic management programs in its infrastructure projects in Cebu City.