 |
| DPWH Region 8 will implement the Tacloban City Causeway, a priority infrastructure project in Eastern Visayas, by the end of the year. Photo: DPWH Region 8/Facebook |
The Tacloban City Causeway, one of the priority infrastructure projects in Eastern Visayas, will soon be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 8 before the end of the year.
First of its kind in Region 8, the Tacloban City Causeway will be built over Cancabato Bay, connecting the Tacloban City Hall area to the Kataisan point of the DZR Airport area in Barangay San Jose, Tacloban City.
This will provide an alternate route for motorists traveling from the city center to the airport, reducing travel distance, travel time, vehicle operation costs, and road accidents.
"Our Planning and Design Division (PDD) figures that the travel time using the original route usually takes up to 45 minutes, but traversing through this causeway, travel time will approximately take up to 10 minutes only, "Regional Director Allan S. Borromeo said.
This causeway is a 4-lane road embankment that spans approximately 2.557 kilometers and has a bridge that spans 180 meters. Separate bike lanes, concrete canals, sidewalks, and wave deflectors are also included on both sides of this project.
RD Borromeo added that the alignment begins at Magsaysay Boulevard and gradually rises towards the bridge in the middle of the causeway, as required for navigational clearance, before sloping down towards the end of the alignment.
"This project is expected to provide an improved path user experience that attracts the local community and tourists, and will soon serve as an infrastructure that can be used by motorists seeking a "This project is expected to offer an improved path user experience that attracts the local community and tourists, and will soon cater as an infrastructure that can be used by motorists seeking for a scenic drive, and by locals who prefer walking, running, and biking," RD Borromeo said.
The official also stated that the causeway project is intended to be strong enough to withstand the harsh site location and high humidity and protect nearby communities from nature's wrath, such as erosive tidal movements caused by weather disturbances.
According to the project description, the structure's central core is a common borrow reinforced with high strength geotextile laid at every 2-meter fill. The Hydraulic Geotextile Tubes will be installed on both sides to contain the embankment and add structural stability. Furthermore, the embankment's toe and side slopes are protected by layers of armored rocks, Class II and III for the outer and inner layers, respectively.
The DPWH 8 will spend P990 million to build the 0.586-kilometer Tacloban City Causeway in the fiscal year 2022. The remainder of the project will be proposed in fiscal years 2024 and beyond.
When completed, the project is expected to contribute to the growth of the region's tourism industry and related business activities, thereby assisting in the region's long-term development. —iTacloban (Source: DPWH-8)