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| Safe and seamless travel will soon be available to Leyte motorists as the DPWH-8 hastens the completion of a bridge widening project in Palo town. Photo: DPWH-8 |
Motorists traveling along Leyte's major thoroughfare will soon enjoy safe and seamless travel as the DPWH-8 accelerates the completion of another bridge widening project in Palo town.
According to Regional Director Edgar B. Tabacon, the San Joaquin bridge is being widened rapidly and is now in its second phase with an 87.11 percent completion rate, which is 43.39 percent ahead of schedule.
"With this accomplishment rate and the fast-tracked works on the project, we are expecting that the widening of the San Joaquin bridge will be finished before the target completion date," he added.
The ongoing second phase of the project, which is scheduled to be completed by February 3, 2023, has been allocated Php 43.482 million to cover bridge widening, approach slab construction, and slope protection (grouted riprap).
Meanwhile, the first phase of the widening project was completed in April 2022, with a total budget of Php 66.63 million.
"The 98.80 lineal meters San Joaquin bridge forms part of the only thoroughfare that connects the towns of Palo and Tanauan in Leyte and is located along the national highway or the Daang Maharlika, which makes it a vital infrastructure to motorists and locals," RD Tabacon said.
He also expressed that the importance of the infrastructure and the increasing volume of traffic traversing the road section prompted him to expedite the bridge's capacity enhancement.
Once completed, the widened bridge will not only conform to the Department's nationwide road expansion activity but will also accommodate a larger number of motorists, provide safer travel for both locals and tourists, and alleviate traffic congestion along the region's major thoroughfares.
Along with the widening, the office modifies the infrastructure to meet the most recent DPWH standard specifications and seismic design to make it stronger and more resistant to strong earthquakes.
The DPWH 8 is tasked with carrying out 48 bridge widening projects across the region in FY 2022, with a total budget of Php 1.7 billion.
These vital infrastructures are all located along the Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Daang Maharlika, which connects the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The Bridge widening is part of the Php 43-B allocation for the construction of 1,246 projects in FY 2022. Along with the 2,560 kilometers of national roads, the DPWH 8 is now responsible for maintaining over 900 bridges in EV. (Source: DPWH-8)