ILOILO City – Don’t want to be stuck in traffic in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo or be late in your work or appointment? Leave your house very early in the morning, according to Mayor Laurence Anthony “Luigi” Gorriceta.
He also urged commuters and drivers to be more patient because the P480-million flyover being constructed in Barangay Ungka II will ultimately be beneficial to all.
“I ask for yourcooperation and understanding,” said Gorriceta whose Pavia would be the first municipality in Western Visayas to have a flyover.
He suggested that people give themselves at least 30 minutes of lead time in the morning when traveling to work, school or an appointment.
“It is imperative that we all adjust to the situation. When completed, the flyover will make our travel much easy,” said Gorriceta.
The 453.70-meter long flyover will stretch from the Petron gasoline station up to the intersection of the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue and the road leading to Parc Regency Subdivision in Barangay Ungka II.
The Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue is the main gateway to Iloilo City from the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo, thus it becomes congested most especially during rush hours in the morning and late afternoon. The flyover is seen to reduce if not totally eliminate the congestion.
Gorriceta said private vehicles from the airport going to the city can avoid the traffic congestion in Barangay Ungka II by taking the following routes:
* from airport to Jaro district – take the Iloilo-Santa Barbara Road (particularly Rizal Street – Taft Street – Barangay Agutayan – Barangay Cabugao Norte – Barangay Tigum – Barangay Pagsanga-an to Barangay Tacas, Jaro)
* from airport to Mandurriao or Molo – take the Oton-San Jose, Santa Barbara Road (Bangga Dama, Santa Barbara – Bangga San Jose, San Miguel – left turn to Iloilo City ALEOSAN Road towards Hibao-an, Mandurriao)
Gorriceta said private vehicles may also take the access roads of residential subdivisions Green Meadows, Centro Verde, Pro Friends, and Parc Regency.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Pavia approved on Tuesday the memorandum of agreement between these subdivisions and the local government making available their access roads to private vehicles while the flyover is being constructed, said Gorriceta.
Traffic aides of the municipality have also started “filtering” in Barangay Aganan all private vehicles from the Iloilo Airport going to Iloilo City, he added.
They are guiding these vehicles to re-route to Barangay Balabag then to Barangay Hibao-an, Mandurriao district, or re-route to Barangay Tigum then to Barangay Pagsanga-an, Pavia to Barangay Tacas, Jaro, said Gorriceta./PN
Pedicycles and personally owned vehicles parking on main thoroughfares to go shop are 2 huge reasons why there is congestion on Luna, Elopez, and MacArthur as examples. Why is this being allowed? Why are personally owned vehicles allowed to park on sidewalks, putting pedestrians at risk? Until proper traffic is enforced city wide by heavy fines, flyovers won’t fix anything. It’s kicking the can down the road. The city will never realize its growth until this issue is addressed.
Traffic can be addressed in many ways and one primary solution is implementing traffic rules and regulations by the book without any exemption. Also I have observed that provincial Jeeps especially those parking at the terminal fronting Christ the King once scheduled to go out from the terminal still linger infront of Christ the King, thus adding less space for other vehicles and incurring more traffic. I think it’s time that we stop letting these public provincial Jeeps do this coz what’s the use of their terminal if they still linger just a few meters outside of their terminal? Also the contractor of the said flyover project should at least occupy one lane from each side to cater for two lanes in each side for the daily vehicles plying this route. Furthermore, the contractor should diligently work on the said project and stop their usual dilly dallying which is rampant in all government projects here in our city or province. I do hope the concerned agency (DPWH) together with the concerned LGUs will also be vigilant and diligent in reminding the contractor.