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[av_heading heading=’‘USELESS STRUCTURE’ Bonifacio Drive overpass must go – SP’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the demolition of the “useless” overpass on Bonifacio Drive.
Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. sought the demolition. The provincial government is redeveloping its property near the overpass.
The overpass was built in the early 1990s. It was meant for the safety of people crossing the busy Bonifacio Drive to transact with offices in the area such as the Iloilo Hall of Justice, Metro Iloilo Water District, the Philippine Red Cross, Department of Tourism, Radyo ng Bayan, Iloilo provincial capitol, Museo Iloilo and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, among others.
People, however, found climbing the overpass impractical just to get to the other side of the street.
If the Department of Public Works and Highways does not have the funds for the overpass’ removal, the provincial government will shoulder the expenses, according to Defensor.
The overpass is situated in front of the Department of Tourism – Region 6 building.
As early as 2013, Tourism regional director Helen Catalbas expressed no objection to the overpass’ removal. Nobody was using it anyway, she said, and it also obstructed the building’s view.
Worse, unscrupulous people used the overpass as toilet, added Catalbas.
Overpasses were meant to ease the flow of traffic and provide safety to pedestrians, she said, but not in the case of this overpass.
It’s walls were too high that people below couldn’t see what’s happening up there, she explained in a letter to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and the Iloilo City Engineering Office.
A committee hearing for the proposed demolition was even conducted by the city council’s committee on public works. One option considered was to renovate or beautify the overpass./PN
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