DPWH checks damaged portions of US-funded Samar road completed last year

TACLOBAN CITY, March 22 (PNA) – A team from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been deployed to check the reported damage on a road linking Samar and Eastern Samar funded by the United States, which was completed early last year.

Edgar Tabacon, DPWH regional director, said on Wednesday that there is an ongoing inspection of the newly-completed road to determine the cost of repair.

“A team from the central office has been checking specific road sections because we need to know how much budget is needed to maintain the road network,” Tabacon told officials during the 1st quarter Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting.

The initiative, according to Tabacon, is part of the Philippine government’s commitment to take care of infrastructure projects.

RDC private sector representative Oliver Cam said adverse weather and geological conditions had caused damages to the road.

The US-funded USD214 million road upgrading project linking impoverished towns in Samar provinces was completed after 44 months of construction.

The grant from the US government covered road widening, rehabilitation, drainage and other safety measures, bridge construction and engineering interventions on road slips and landslides. The project, which has four contract packages, was awarded to seven contractors.

Of the 222 kilometers, 112 are asphalt and 110 are concrete. The road network has 62 bridges with 60 constructed by the Secondary National Road Development Project and two by the DPWH.

The Samar rehabilitation project, which started in 2012, is a major component of the USD434 million grant from the US government to address poverty.

The road traverses the town of Paranas in Samar, Taft, Sulat, San Julian, Borongan, Maydolong, Llorente, Hernani, Gen. Macarthur, Quinapondan, Salcedo, Mercedes and Guiuan in Eastern Samar. (PNA)
SARWELL Q. MENIANO