Friday, January 09, 2009 [ manilatimes.net ]
CABANATUAN CITY: The monstrous traffic suffered by commuters in this highly urbanized city is expected to lessen after the new diversion road that provides access to the biggest bridge in the city was formally opened this week, officials said on Thursday.
Mayor Alvin Vergara noted that construction of the Cesar Vergara Bridge started during the time of his predecessor, former Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, and was formally opened to traffic on Monday.
The three-lane bridge that spans 810 linear meters was part of the Felipe Vergara Highway that starts from Barangay Sumacab Norte and passes through the five so-called Ibayong Ilog villages cuts short the travel time to Talavera town, Vergara said.
The former mayor who was the guest speaker during the bridge’s blessing and inauguration said the new road is expected to unclog the Nueva Ecija-Cagayan Valley Road that passes through the main business districts of the city.
“Marami pang proyekto na ipatutupad dito sa ating lungsod ang sisimulan ni Mayor Alvin at tatapusin ko naman,” the former Mayor said apparently insinuating his return for the 2010 local elections. The incumbent Mayor Vergara is his cousin whom he endorsed in the last elections.
Meanwhile, the city government of Cabanatuan finally closed down the oldest and biggest open dumpsite in Nueva Ecija.
Vergara said the closure of Valle Cruz dump was in accordance with the provision of Republic Act 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. This, he said, calls for the creation of material recovery facilities in barangays.
Earlier, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has warned to charge the city government for failure to stop the operation of said dump.-- Armand M. Galang
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