Zaplan downplays traffic snarl created by bridge repair

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SANTA BARBARA – The mayor here pooh-poohed the feared monstrous traffic brought by the temporary closure of the Sinucalan Bridge that served commuters to and from Manila.

Mayor Carlito Zaplan said that his administration has formulated a traffic solution to mitigate the traffic congestion caused by the construction of the four way lanes’ bridge located at the national highway.

 He said that aside from the rerouting of motor vehicles that will pass in the town proper, he barred tricycles to ferry passengers there to lessen the traffic congestion caused by the closure of the bridge.

“Meron kaming ginawang re-routing iyong mga tricycle hindi na puweding mag-park sa harap ng palengke. Puwede silang pumasok lima-lima lang,” he stressed.

Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan's town proper.

He said all the tricycles will stay in front of the Amigo Gas Station.

Zalplan said the bridge construction, undertaken by the National Builder based in Tarlac City, has a target date of ten months.

Recently, District Engineer Marietta B. Mendoza of the 2^nd Engineering Sub-Office of the DPWH, sent a media advisory announcing the closure of the bridge in February 17.

“Sinucalan Briged located along Urdaneta City- Dagupan City (Brgy. Maningding Section) will be closed to all types of vehicular traffic. Vehicles coming from Urdaneta bound for Dagupan City vice versa will pass through Sta. Barbara old road via Sta. Barbara town proper”.

Zaplan two more bridges would be constructed within this year here.

He said one of them is the bridge going to Malasiqui from the poblacion  and the other is in Barangay Balingueo.

He said vehicular traffic is not a problem with the two bridges since the private contractor will construct a detour at the side of the bridge. The purpose of the construction is bridge widening.

Meanwhile, Zaplan refuted the criticism that the new P32 million municipal building located in Barangay Ventinilla would follow the pitfalls of the city hall of Urdaneta City where people there assail it for being too far from the city proper.

He said the case of the latter is it is located eight kilometers from the city proper while the municipal edifice here is only one kilometer from the town proper.

He said the new municipal hall will be open to the public in April this year.

The mayor said workers there are preoccupied constructing the P2.5 million air-conditioning system located at the ceilings of the hall and putting up the office’s furniture.