Cagayan de Oro road expansions underway

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/business/2016/10/25/cagayan-de-oro-road-expansions-underway-505545
• Thursday, October 27, 2016

By Pamela Jay F. Orias

THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro is studying on major road expansions particularly in uptown area to resolve vehicular traffic congestion in this city, said a city official.

Eileen San Juan, City Investments and Promotions Officer said in an interview that they are set to embark on road extensions, noting the city’s growth and development.

San Juan said some of the road network projects are supervised by the Department of Public Works and Highways Northern Mindanao.

Among the road projects which are currently under construction are Opol-Canitoan Road, Canitoan-Bulua Road, Iligan-Cagayan de Oro-Bukidnon lateral Highway, Lumbia-Pagatpat Road, Macabalan-Bonbon bridge, Mapawa-FS Catanico Road, Balubal-Pueblo Road Balulang-Macasandig bridge and Cagayan de Oro-Laguindingan Highway.

"Sa uptown area, daghan nata ug gistudyhan diha kung asa ang mga lusotanan, because dako ni nga area ang sa uptown alone lang and we have many plans there, including the city expansion," she said.

"For example, ang Mastersons boulevard, our engineering office is studying it, pero initial nga observation kung magka-clog na sa ibabaw, the whole stretch is locked-up so others would opt to cross sa basurahan, but para makatuyok ka, muadto paka ug Balulang and Taguanao, so lisod kaayo siya sa mga mag-commute," she said.

"The more roads we have, the more nga ma look forward nato ang development," San Juan added.

Road network expansion projects such as JR Borja Extension Road, Puerto-Claveria bypass road, Puerto-Carmen Hill Diversion Road and a road connecting villages of Dansolihon and Tignapoloan are also underway and ready for approval.

San Juan said the worsening traffic problem of Cagayan de Oro City has become a common complaint of investors and businessmen here but she added they are trying to find ways to make commuting easier for the public.

"We are really looking forward nga ma push through na ang road expansions to get ready as we anticipate the surge of people visiting our city, as far as growth and development is concerned," she said.

According to the Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, as of 2015 census, the city's population is at 675,950 but daytime population reaches to 1,376,343 million.

Oro Chamber executive director Chris Ivan Lagapa said visitors from nearby provinces who are in the city for any transactions contribute to the city's daytime population rise.

In 2012, according to Oro Chamber, the city has only about 3,301 registered business establishments, 3,545 in 2013, about 5,232 in 2014, and 3,379 business establishments in 2015.

As of this year, approximately 23,000 business establishments are already registered.

The Oro Chamber cited the western urban, west uptown, downtown area and eastern uptown areas are the city’s key development areas.