The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking to build an alternative route in Brgy. Perrelos, Carcar City in order to proceed with its road-widening efforts without having to touch the century-old Acacia trees lining up the national highway.
DPWH first engineering district, headed by Engr. James Reyes, told Gov. Gwen Garcia of this plan during a meeting at the Capitol on July 5.
It was also attended by Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas and Dr. Jose Eleazar Bersales, Capitol consultant on museum and heritage.
Engr. Reyes said that the proposed road alignment or alternative route will traverse the route of the nearby old railway in the barangay, instead of having to widen the national road at the expense of the humongous trees.
If this materializes after going through the proper procedure laid down by law, DPWH is also looking at expropriating private properties that might be affected by the proposed alternative route.
The alternative route will measure at least half a kilometer in length (500 meters), with width of 10 meters, enough to augment the road capacity of the existing two-lane highway that has become a favorite attraction in Carcar because of its nostalgic feel when one passes under the leafy canopy whose planters belonged to a different time in the past.
Gov. Garcia welcomed the idea as she maintained that heritage structures and century-old trees such as those in Carcar City should be accorded protection in light of many infrastructure developments in Cebu.
As DPWH’s road-widening project progresses along Cebu’s southern highway, the proposed alternative route in Barangay Perrelos demonstrates the importance of finding innovative solutions that benefit both progress and heritage or environmental conservation. | MARM
