MABUHAY UNDERPASS OFFICIALLY OPENS TO MOTORISTS IN GENSAN AFTER YEARS OF DELAYS

Courtesy: LGU GenSan: TATAK Heneral

Following nearly four years of construction hurdles and persistent commuter gridlock, the highly anticipated Mabuhay Underpass is now officially open to traffic.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon personally inspected the finished infrastructure and ordered its immediate opening ahead of its slated July 31 deadline. The early opening aims to provide instant relief to the city's heavily congested primary corridors.

A P700-Million Solution to Traffic

The massive infrastructure project required a total investment of ₱700 million. Construction originally commenced in July 2022, but the project was plagued by multiple design modifications, budget revisions, and structural extensions. For nearly four years, the resulting bottlenecks at the strategic junction served as a major pain point for local businesses and daily commuters alike.

With the main underground lanes now fully passable, the DPWH expects a drastic reduction in travel times across the city's primary transit network.

Addressing the Flooding Concerns

Beyond traffic management, engineering teams focused heavily on mitigating the region's intense weather patterns. To address widespread public concern over potential flooding inside the subterranean lanes, the DPWH integrated a state-of-the-art pumping system and drainage line canal network.

Furthermore, Secretary Dizon confirmed that the national agency will entirely shoulder the underpass’s operational overheads. The DPWH will assume the estimated ₱500,000 monthly maintenance and electricity cost required to run the heavy-duty water pumps, ensuring the financial burden does not fall on the Local Government Unit (LGU) of General Santos.

Current Traffic Status and Surface Adjustments

While the underground lanes are completely operational for straight-through traffic, localized traffic adjustments remain in effect on the surface. According to the GenSan News Network, the city is implementing temporary traffic schemes while final surface modifications wrap up:

• Main Underpass: Fully open and free-flowing for all eligible through-traffic vehicles.
• Surface Side Roads: Portions of the upper access roads from the Jollibee Junction to the Hino area are restricted to one-way traffic to accommodate ongoing line canal finishes.
• Pedestrian Zones: Side lanes and pedestrian crosswalks parallel to the structure are undergoing final layout adjustments.

Local traffic authorities advise motorists to remain vigilant, observe new directional signage, and expect minor merges when utilizing the surface-level intersection lanes.