Ramps that would cut Cebu-Mactan travel time eyed

Local

MOTORISTS traveling between Cebu City and Mactan may soon bypass long detours.

This comes as new interchange ramps are being planned to provide direct access to the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), which will cut travel time and ease congestion along existing routes.

Allan Alfon, president and general manager of the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC), unveiled the proposed Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR)–CCLEX interchange project on Monday, April 27.

The project will introduce new on- and off-ramps connecting key areas of Cebu City directly to the expressway.

Alfon said the planned interchange will allow vehicles from both downtown and uptown Cebu to enter CCLEX without passing through the heavily congested South Road Properties (SRP) loop.

“At present, if you are coming from CCLEX and heading to Cebu City, you are forced to pass through the SRP and travel around seven kilometers in one loop, or pass through F. Vestil Street, which is already congested, especially during peak hours,” Alfon explained.

Under the proposal, an off-ramp will be constructed for vehicles coming from Mactan, enabling motorists to exit CCLEX and proceed toward Cebu City without detouring through SRP.

Complementing this, an on-ramp will be built along the CSCR in Barangay Ermita, providing direct access to CCLEX for motorists coming from key city corridors such as Osmeña Boulevard, M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Plaza Independencia, and the Cebu port area.

This means drivers from both downtown and uptown Cebu can enter the expressway more efficiently and travel straight toward Mactan, including the airport, once planned extensions are completed.

“In effect, if you’re going to the island, you will have a direct route,” Alfon said.

The project is expected to be completed within approximately one and a half years, according to CCLEC.

The new CSCR–CCLEX interchange also reflects a shift from earlier plans to construct a ramp passing through V. Rama Avenue and connecting to C. Padilla Street.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival earlier said the original alignment posed significant challenges, including the displacement of around 300 to 400 families and the already congested condition of inner-city roads.

Following the city government’s request, CCLEX planners redesigned the project, redirecting the alignment toward the SRP via a viaduct near the Compania Maritima area.

The revised design eliminates the need for residential displacement and is expected to accelerate construction by avoiding right-of-way issues.

“No houses will be affected. What they will do is construct over the sea through a viaduct,” Archival said in a previous briefing.

The mayor added that the ramp remains a critical infrastructure component to decongest traffic in southern Cebu City and the SRP corridor, especially with more developments expected to open in the area.(TGP)