CLARK FREEPORT – The construction of the roundabout at the intersection of MacArthur Highway in Balibago, Angeles City and Roxas Avenue leading to this freeport started yesterday even as the negotiation for the temporary public utility jeepney terminal is yet to be finalized.
During the media forum dubbed “Talk Widus” at the newly renovated Widus Hotel and Casino here organized by the Pampanga Press Club last Wednesday, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) executive Red Fuentes said construction of the roundabout will begin as soon as jeepneys in the area have been cleared.
But Fuentes said despite holding several dialogues with the transport group, it is still unclear where they will be transferred. “How many dialogues ‘na ginawa’ (made by the) transport office of Angeles, the jeepneys are simply too many and they are only needed during rush hour,” he said.
“Yung First Street sa dulo intersecting MacArthur Highway wala naman talaga terminal yan. I don’t know what the regulators did pero dapat matanggal (jeepneys) if we start construction of the rotunda (The First Street at the end where it intersects the MacArthur Highway has no designated terminal… but we need to remove them…),” he added.
SM City Clark mall manager Ana Datu said a temporary jeepney terminal will be allocated near the PNR area adjacent to the mall for the jeepneys. But she said some filling will be needed and construction work for it will have to be done to make the area serviceable.
In the meantime, the Angeles City government said “while construction of the roundabout is taking place, the Angeles City Traffic Enforcement and Management Offi ce (ACTEMO) will continue to manage the flow of traffic in the area.
The ACTEMO said “a temporary transport depot has been identified along First Street and jeepneys affected in the current construction will temporarily be placed there.” The exact location of the area remained unclear though.
Public utility jeepneys plying the major thoroughfares in Angeles City to SM Clark as well as those coming from Mabalacat City converge at the said jeepney terminal near the roundabout. Fuentes said the contract period for the construction of the roundabout is until December 15 but Omicron Development Construction (which won the bidding for the work) plans to finish it by November 30.
Omicron is managed by former CDC executive Rollie Tongco. The construction of the roundabout is part of the infrastructure projects for the coming Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) to be held here in January next year.
