Banilad-Talamban Fly-over To Be Finished on July 31! Road Widening Starts On Monday - P120M Budget Ready To Buy Lots!

I can hardly believe my eyes, the Banilad Talamban fly-over is almost finished? That intersection for the past few months, as been a bane to Cebuanos' existence. Imagine the traffic starting in Banilad affecting A.S. Fortuna, Talamban areas and of course the other alternate routes like Mabolo.

To be able to read that the fly-over will be finished on July 31 is like waking from a bad dream! Apparently budget is already available, partial payments can be made for the other lot owners, aside from payment for nine critical lots that should be purchased as soon possible for the widening to proceed.

However I may be jumping the gun as there is still dispute as to the lot prices. The owners acceded to the P15,500 per square meter valuation “under protest,” and will ask the court to be the one to decide the value of their properties, which they pegged at P25,000 to P30,000 per square meter.

Well, looks like the Cebu City government is serious about making life difficult for motorists and commuters with the Banilad-Talamban fly-over. One of two south-bound lanes of Governor Cuenco Avenue is now closed to traffic starting past 9 a.m. until past 6 p.m. causing a buildup of traffic in the area. And why wouldn't it when more than 7,000 vehicles go down that route every single day. To update you with the Banilad Talamban fly-over construction details from Cebu Daily News:

Engineers of WTG Construction are implementing a gradual closure of the roads in the area where the Barangay (village) Banilad flyover project is being constructed.

Engineer Meo Daan, one of the WTG Construction's site engineers, told Cebu Daily News on Tuesday that they are implementing a gradual closure on the road so that the motorists will not be severely affected.

Daan said that when the pile driving or actual works on the foot foundation will start, the two outer lanes of the entire 390 meter stretch will be closed.

He also said that other heavy equipment, such as the backhoes, dump trucks and cranes, will occupy the inner lanes, prompting them to close two lanes of the four-lane Governor Cuenco Avenue.

It's an agonizing drive going to and from the office right now. My office is in Mandaue and I live in Cebu so sometimes I just have to pass there and it is inconceivably slow and stupid how we are painfully being forced to endure long hours on the road and hideous traffic.

(image care of My Cebu Photo Blog)