LOOK: Cebu lights up Quincentennial Crosses in Santo Niño Bridge

In time for the celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) lit up Santo Niño Bridge with eight iconic crosses on Thursday night, April 15.

CCLEC said in a press statement that eight 40-meter crosses were installed on top of the bridge’s main pylons and was blessed by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

“Artistically designed, these crosses took inspiration from the cross planted by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago and is a proper tribute to Cebu being the cradle of Christianity [in Asia],” CCLEC said.

The P30-billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) or Santo Niño Bridge is a toll bridge expressway linking mainland Cebu through the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City to Mactan Island through Cordova town.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, former Central Visayas Regional Development Council chair, had lobbied for the project. It was later supported by the local governments of Cordova, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu City.

CCLEC said in a Facebook post that for over 30 years, the late Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary Adelino Sitoy had championed the project that would connect mainland Cebu to his “beloved Cordova.” Sitoy died on Thursday.

Since March, CCLEC said that the bridge’s construction progress alone is at 66.89%, while the entire project’s progress is estimated at 72.73%. The project is targeted for completed by year-end. – Rappler.com