DPWH Leyte office posts 71% accomplishment as of August

TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 31 (PNA) –- The Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways reports 71 percent accomplishment of target projects and is positive to finish all 68 projects before the year ends.

District Engineer Carlos G. Veloso said they have to finish the projects by September so they can start processing and bidding of priority projects for 2017.

Out of the 68 total number of infrastructure projects being undertaken in the second district, 48 of these have already been completed while 32 are still ongoing, according to their August 2016 report.

Nine of the projects, however, have yet to be started as contract documents are still on process.

The district office has completed the rehabilitation of the portion of the Breakneck Ridge in Lemon, Capoocan, Leyte. The government reconstructed the road after it was badly damaged by typhoon Seniang in 2014.

Veloso said that they have to scrape part of the mountain side to widen the road area and take it away from the deep ravine on the other side.

Among the priority project for 2016 were the repair and rehabilitation of 18 bridges. Most of bridges within the area are either old or have been damaged by heavy rains and water flow during the past typhoons.

Also appropriated were widening and road reblocking along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc road. Veloso said that this vital highway that cuts across Leyte province have been steadily widened in order to accommodate increasing traffic flow.

Meanwhile, Veloso disclosed that still the first phase of the Hiagsam Bridge in Jaro, Leyte is set to be finished this year. Should it be completed, traffic can be allowed but widening the bridge into four lanes under its second phase will continue. The Hiagsam Bridge was among a number of bridges destroyed during the onslaught of typhoon Senyang.

As the government’s lead construction agency, the DPWH’s budget allocation is the second biggest among government departments. In 2016, the DPWH plans to complete the paving of all national arterial and secondary roads, as well as the continuing development of the national road network—including tertiary roads—and the preservation of road assets.

The district has more than PHP523 million in budget for various infrastructure projects in 2016. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR