THE Mandaue City Government has received several complaints from commuters about the dilapidated segment of Ouano Avenue.
While the road is within Mandaue, the City Government could not easily act on the matter because this is a national road and the repair will be done by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), according to Councilor Carmelino Del Mar Jr.
DPWH Sixth District Engineer Suzette Nwanaka informed the City Government through City Social Welfare and Services Officer Jessie Perez that the rehabilitation will possibly start next month.
For quite a long time, the six lanes of Ouano Ave., particularly in the corner of F. F. Cruz Street, have cracks on the asphalt pavement and potholes.
Del Mar said the damaged road was the reason why traffic is experienced in Ouano Ave. for vehicles slow down when they pass the area.
“It is within the jurisdiction of DPWH. What the city can do is we might invite the DPWH to appear to the city council or (the) mayor will request to repair it the soonest possible time,” he said.
Del Mar, chair of the committee on infrastructure, said he may sponsor a resolution inviting the DPWH officials to appear in one of the City Council sessions to discuss this matter.
Del Mar also said he already spoke with City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing about this three weeks ago.
DPWH allocated P223.707-million for the rehabilitation of the 7.60-kilometer stretch of the road in Ouano Avenue.
Nwanaka informed Perez, who also served as the protocol officer of the city mayor, that the road rehabilitation project was already bid out, but it was not awarded yet to the winning contractor.
“(It is) still under bid evaluation stage,” Nwanaka said.
Since people will still experience the uneven road in Ouano Avenue, Del Mar advised the motorists to just be careful when driving.
“Magmatngon nalang gyud (Motorists must drive with caution),” he said.
Aside from the commuters’ complaints on the road, Del Mar said that establishment owners also complained about the thick dusts on the street.
“Ang pintal sa establishment puti nya karon na brown (The paint that was used in the establishment was painted with white but now it has turned brown),” he said.
“Nagda og abog ana usually kanang trucks gikan garahe nya lapok nya ara magkalat (Trucks with muddy wheels coming from their garage caused the thick dust on the road),” Del Mar added.
The Department of General Services was already tasked, when needed, to clean Ouano Ave. using water to eliminate the dust.