Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Editorial: Bridging the gaps
IF WE remember correctly, the call for the repair of the bridge at Circumferential Road in Villa Leoncia, Angeles City has been on for a long time now.
The one sounded off by the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) last Monday was only the most recent.
The repair is urgent because the road where it is located is very vital to traffic going to the north and western part of Pampanga, particularly to the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) and Porac.
In fact, that's the reason that road was built and improved to its current state.
If we're not mistaken, the construction or improvement of Circumferential Road, a by-pass for the McArthur Highway was funded by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) under retired Brigadier General Romeo David, who anticipated the growth in traffic to Clark and a shorter and faster route had to be built for the purpose.
Today, even with the existence of North Luzon Expressway, and with the use of the megadike as short-cut passage from Western Pampanga, the value of Circumferential Road as a convenient route is unassailable.
That much can be sensed from ADCL's vociferous appeal for the bridge's repair.
ADCL chairman Rene Romero knows all too well that a good road means good business. The damaged bridge at Villa Leoncia doesn't only negate this proposition but, as Romero himself worries about, could pose serious risks to motorists, among them businessmen like him.
Compounding the damaged bridge is the blithe defiance of heavy truck drivers of warnings not to use it as it could worsen the situation.
Again, there seems to be utter failure in enforcing such a very important public safety measure.
At least two government agencies need to respond to this situation promptly, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
With the onset of rainy season, any number of things could further aggravate the problem. Accidents may just be waiting to happen.
Something has to be done right away with the perceived and real gaps, not just the literal ones.
