South flyover opens today

April 20, 2011

OFFICIALS will open to traffic this afternoon the newly constructed Mam-baling flyover in Cebu City, even if contractor WTG Construction has yet to formally turn it over.
Mayor Michael Rama announced the decision after he inspected the 410-meter flyover yesterday, together with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Traffic Operations and Management (Citom) officials and contractor Willy Te Go of WTG Construction
The opening will coincide with an expected surge of southbound traffic, as people head to their hometowns for the Holy Week.

Rama said there are concerns that need to be attended to, but that he already instructed Citom executive director Rafael Yap to address them.
These include the removal of hanging wires above the overpass, clearing of the post in the road’s center island, and installation of signs, among others.
Engr. Nicomedes Leonor of DPWH expressed his concern that it may be risky for the contractor to let the flyover open when it has not yet been turned over.
That’s aside from some other concerns that DPWH earlier raised, like clearing the center island near the Mambaling skywalk first.
However, Go said the public has demanded access to the flyover and waiting for more days will cause further inconvenience to the people.
Go said that the DPWH already inspected the project and they are just waiting for the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct its own inspection before they will turn it over to the public works agency this month.
He said they are willing to fix the flyover if some defects are observed, but they cannot afford to keep the public from waiting further.
“Lisod kaayo nga atong hutdon ang pasensya sa mga tawo. Anyway, na-inspect na man na sa DPWH, human unya sa inspection pud sa COA, ato dayon nang i-turn over ngadto sa DPWH (Let’s not test the people’s patience further. Anyway, DPWH has already inspected it, so as soon as COA finishes its inspection, we will immediately turn this over to the DPWH),” Go said.
All vehicles, light and heavy alike, can use the flyover once it is opened to the public, said Rama.
“It should not be limited anymore, because a partial opening will also create a problem. It has to be complete opening; there should be no barring of big cars and trucks, for that matter,” Rama said.
Yap said that Citom will see to it that safety measures will be in place before the opening of the overpass today.
The speed limit is 60 kilometers per hour, he added.
Meanwhile, Leonor said they will conduct the bidding for phase two of the flyover project once they get the go-signal from their central office.
He said phase two has a P115-million budget, which includes the acquisition of lots for the widening of the flyover’s side roads.
The opening will coincide with an expected surge of southbound traffic, as people head to their hometowns for the Holy Week.
Rama said there are concerns that need to be attended to, but that he already instructed Citom executive director Rafael Yap to address them.
These include the removal of hanging wires above the overpass, clearing of the post in the road’s center island, and installation of signs, among others.
Engr. Nicomedes Leonor of DPWH expressed his concern that it may be risky for the contractor to let the flyover open when it has not yet been turned over.
That’s aside from some other concerns that DPWH earlier raised, like clearing the center island near the Mambaling skywalk first.
However, Go said the public has demanded access to the flyover and waiting for more days will cause further inconvenience to the people.
Go said that the DPWH already inspected the project and they are just waiting for the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct its own inspection before they will turn it over to the public works agency this month.
He said they are willing to fix the flyover if some defects are observed, but they cannot afford to keep the public from waiting further.
“Lisod kaayo nga atong hutdon ang pasensya sa mga tawo. Anyway, na-inspect na man na sa DPWH, human unya sa inspection pud sa COA, ato dayon nang i-turn over ngadto sa DPWH (Let’s not test the people’s patience further. Anyway, DPWH has already inspected it, so as soon as COA finishes its inspection, we will immediately turn this over to the DPWH),” Go said.
All vehicles, light and heavy alike, can use the flyover once it is opened to the public, said Rama.
“It should not be limited anymore, because a partial opening will also create a problem. It has to be complete opening; there should be no barring of big cars and trucks, for that matter,” Rama said.
Yap said that Citom will see to it that safety measures will be in place before the opening of the overpass today.
The speed limit is 60 kilometers per hour, he added.
Meanwhile, Leonor said they will conduct the bidding for phase two of the flyover project once they get the go-signal from their central office.
He said phase two has a P115-million budget, which includes the acquisition of lots for the widening of the flyover’s side roads.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/04/20/south-flyover-opens-today-151425