Southern Leyte’s 37.92 kms of roads, bridges get major upgrade in 2015

MAASIN CITY, Leyte, Jan. 14 (PNA) – About 37.92 kilometers of national highways and bridges have been constructed, upgraded and rehabilitated by the Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO) last year.

In 2015, the central government has invested PHP658.44 million from its regular budget to improve the conditions of major thoroughfares in Southern Leyte, aimed at creating better economic opportunities.

Of the PHP658.44 million outlay, PHP137.61 million was used for paving, rehabilitation, preventive maintenance, and construction of 29.38 kms of road; PHP409 million for replacement, rehabilitation, and construction of 38 bridges with a combined length of 1,394 meters; and PHP11.81 million for concreting of 8.53 kms of local roads.

“For 2015, a big chunk of our budget were spent for construction, rehabilitation, and strengthening of bridges all over the province,” said District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia.

“Latest engineering techniques were applied as most bridges were built 40 years ago and are no longer structurally able to withstand the loads of the newer and heavier vehicles.”

Among the major projects are Otikon Bridge rehabilitation, Dampoy Bridge upgrading, access road construction to Napantao Dive site, Agas-Agas Bridge rehabilitation of piers and abutment protection, Das-ay flood control, and Subangdaku flood control.

Other projects funded through regular budget are water supply systems, national buildings, hospital and health facilities, market and slaughterhouses, and other public infrastructure with a consolidated cost of PHP8.91 million.

The province has 293.34 kms of national roads with 270.31 kms are paved, 17.09 kms with asphalt overlay, and 5.93 kms gravel road.

Aside from road network, under the watch of the district engineering office are the 156 bridges with a total length of 5.59 kms. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/PR/EGR

RoRo ports up for construction in Southern Leyte

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Jan. 9 (PNA) - Two roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ports will be constructed in the towns of Padre Burgos and San Francisco, with a budget of Php4 million each.

Southern Leyte lone district Rep. Damian Mercado said the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will implement the project through funds from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).

He said the two projects are currently in the bidding process but construction is targeted to start in February 2016.

He disclosed that when the port projects are nearing completion a memorandum of agreement (MOA) would be signed between the PPA management and the concerned local government units (LGUs).

“Turnover ceremonies shall be conducted for the two projects along with the concerned local government that will supervise and handle its operations,” he said.

The lawmaker pointed out that the agreed share of profits, based on the MOA provisions, is 10 percent for the PPA and 90 percent for the LGUs.

RoRo is an inter-island system of transportation that ferries not just people but also vehicles.

It is the government’s key development strategy to reduce the cost of inter-island transportation, and support the agri-fisheries modernization and food security programs of the country. (PNA)
JSV/SQM/Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

DPWH embarks on massive bridge repair in Southern Leyte

MAASIN CITY, Nov. 27 (PNA) –- The Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering (DPWH-SLDEO) is bracing for the massive rehabilitation of old bridges in the next two years.

District Engineer Ma. Margarita Junia said 47 bridges will be rehabilitated in 2016 while more structures are now subject to Bridge Management System (BMS) for 2017 repair activities.

“The result of this BMS is the basis for our funding as to what bridge needs repair in 2017,” Junia said.

This year, 37 bridges have been rehabilitated by SLDEO. The total outlay for bridge retrofitting, rehabilitation and strengthening is PHP408 million.

For 2016, the bridge rehabilitation activities require PHP576.97 million, which accounts more than a third of the PHP1.45 billion proposed budget for next year.

Listed for 2016 major repair are bridges of Lilloan, Magaupas, Magkasag, Mayuga, Nahaong, Agogong, Awayon, Biliran, Bonbon, Caaga, Calayugan, Calian, Candatag, Canluwis, Canlupao, Cantamuac, Canumay, Casao, Concepcion, Dinahugan, Higusoan, Hilogtogan, Hipgasan, Iniguihan.

Also up for rehabilitation are bridges of Looc, Mag-ata, Mahalo, Mapait, Maslog 1, Maslog 2, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan 1, Pintuyan 2, Sagbok, San Joaquin, San Jose, San Ricardo, San Roque, San Vicente, Sangaahon, Son-ok, Sta Cruz 1, Sta. Cruz 2, Sudmon, Timba, and Villa Jacinta.

“Some of these bridges have been existing since 1970s. There’s really a need for these bridges to undergo major rehabilitation,” Junia added.

The SLDEO simultaneously conducts bridge inspection for 2016 projects and BMS of old bridges for 2017 activities.

The BMS bridge data are annually collected based on the bridge inventory and condition surveys being conducted by the accredited bridge inspectors from the district office. The accredited regional BMS coordinators from the regional office do the supervision quality checking of the BMS bridge data.

The bridge data collected from the surveys are encoded in the Bridge Inventory Condition stand alone program and uploaded in the repository of all national road and bridge data.

The BMS team in the central office manages the uploading and quality assurance of the BMS data, as well as the conduct of the BMS analysis.

The BMS analyze and generate a list of priority bridges that require major maintenance and replacement which can be funded locally or foreign-assisted bridge programs in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The province has 153 bridges along the national road with a combined length of more than two kilometers.

The province has the most number of bridges in the region. Of the total number of bridges, 139 are concrete, and 14 are steel. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/QUIRICO M. GORPIDO, JR.