Region X prepares support infra for Laguindingan Airport

Northern Mindanao is doing all possible to prepare itself for the coming of the Laguindingan Airport, located some 36 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City.

Already, the Regional Development Council for Region 10 (RDC-10) endorsed to the national government during its June 28 full council meeting the Laguindingan Airport Road Interchange Project as a complementary infrastructure support facility of the new facility.

Engr. Jaime H. Pacampara, coordinator of the RDC-10 Infrastructure Committee said the airport road interchange project should be in place to address traffic congestion prior to the operation of the Laguindingan Airport.

The proposed road interchange project consists of a two-lane elevated highway with an estimated length of 1.5 kilometers including a 25-ton, 60 linear meter bridge with an estimated project cost of P500-million.

Similarly, the Second Engineering District of Cagayan de Oro is expediting the improvement of the city´s roads to complement the opening of the new airport.

Foremost among these is a P363-million Puerto-Sayre Flyover in Barangay Puerto at the junction of the Iligan-Cagayan-Butuan- Road (ICBR) and the Sayre Highway of Bukidnon, a perennial traffic bottleneck. It is targeted for completion by the end of this month, three months ahead of its original November 22, 2011 schedule.

DPWH President´s Bridge Program Officer (PBPO) Officer Oscar Villanueva said that the 195 lineal meter double lane permanent flyover project with five (5) spans modular steel, four (4) piers and 38.83 lineal meters road approaches is part of the Mega Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project funded by the national government with a loan from the French Government.

District Engineer Cesar L. Hipona Jr. said the flyover is just one of a package of inter-city projects within the city´s second engineering district addressed at relieving the increase in the volume of traffic along the national highway, specifically along the (ICBR).

Two other flyovers are now under construction by the city government: the P107.8-million Velez- C.M. Recto flyover and P119.7-million Macanhan-Carmen junction flyover. Started in June 15 during the City´s 61st Charter Day, the two projects are slated for completion in 120 days.

Recently, Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro) turned over the city government three road improvement projects worth P35.17 million.

"We have to expedite these projects so we can be ready for the opening of the Laguindingan airport next year," Mr. Rodriguez said. "We should not merely rehabilitate our existing roads but widen them as well to address the increasing traffic passing through the city."

The South Divisoria road improvement project included the concreting of 99.84 meters of city road in the heart of the city with an average width of 11 meters and 0.23 meters thickness with a project cost of P3.383 million inclusive of drainage. On the other hand, the North Divisoria concreting covered 311.60 meters of road with an average width of 11 meters and 0.23 meters worth P6.785 million inclusive of drainage.

Plaza Divisoria is the city´s oldest commercial business district and is the site of the Night Café and Night Market held every weekend.

The third project turned over by Mr. Rodriguez was the asphalt overlay of 1.046 kms. of the ICBR in Barangay Lapasan worth P25 million.

However, the project which has the potential to have the greatest impact on the Laguindingan airports operations is the P1.2-billion Cagayan de Oro Coastal Highway whose first phase runs from the Bitan-ag Creek in San Juan, Lapasan to Barangay Puerto.

The road is a four lane concrete highway with a four meter baywalk which would ultimately link the Puerto flyover now under construction with the Puntod-Bonbon 3rd Bridge. Intra city traffic especially buses and cargo trucks which now clog the national highway passing through the inner city would thus have a hassle free by-pass road through which they can quickly negotiate the city from east to west and vice versa.

During the turnover rites for the third project in Lapasan, Mr. Rodriguez said he expects the project to move ahead faster now the city council has agreed to expropriate a private property which has stymied construction for some time now.

Councilor Emmanuel D. Abejuela, city council committee on infrastructure said the city government would recompense the property owner with the fair market value of his property and committed to initiate an ordinance which would compel truck and bus operators to use the Coastal Superhighway when travelling through the city from points outside it.

Another bypass road through the upper barangays of the city is also on the drawing board which would enable motorists to pass through J.R. Borja Extension in Gusa and traversing the hinterlands of Cugman, Tablon, Agusan and on to the Sayre Highway in Bukidnon.