ILOILO – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 director Sanny Boy O. Oropel will send a letter to the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) today to reiterate the request to redesign the Aganan flyover in Barangay Aganan, Pavia.
UTCP was commissioned by the DPWH central office’s Bureau of Design (BOD) to redesign the Aganan flyover.
UTCP’s original design would use concrete girders in the Aganan flyover, but then DPWH-6 director Engr. Nerie Bueño requested a review and, if possible, change the girders to steel, particularly at the intersection or crossing that spans 50 meters.
The regional office has yet to receive a response from UTCP.
“Hopefully pamatian sang UTCP kay kon indi nila pagpamatian I am now contemplating to reiterate for the second time,” Oropel told Panay News.
The regional director will also give a deadline for the redesigning. It should be in his hands within this year, he added.
“Tagaan ko deadline ang UTCP to act on the request. Kon indi i-request ko ang UTCP nga ma-blacklist sa BOD. Ang UTCP ang isa sa mga rason kon ngaa naga-delay,” Oropel said.
Steel girders are easy to fabricate and their use would hasten the Aganan flyover’s completion, while concrete girders require multiple scaffoldings that are laborious and could contribute to the traffic congestion.
“Kon makita mo ang Aganan flyover may gap kita sa tunga nga until now wala matapos. Ang aton nga column ara da which is 50 meters span. So ang design sina sang UTCP are concrete box girders, which kon obrahon naton ma-create na sia sang grabe nga traffic kay tungod nga kon mag-construct ka sang box girders kinahanglan naton ang scaffolding sa dalom,” explained Oropel.
He said he has been meeting with engineers and contractor, International Builders Corp., on what to work on with the flyover while waiting for its redesign.
“Gusto ko maghatag sang aksyon sa mga projects nga delayed kag naga-meeting na kita sa contractor nga buloligan nila ang aton proyekto nga kinahanglanon sang publiko,” he added.
On December 2022, Bueño ordered a temporary halt on the construction of the Aganan flyover as a precautionary measure following the vertical displacement of the P680-million Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia.
The roughly P800-million Aganan flyover is built along Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, specifically in Barangay Aganan, Pavia, which leads to Iloilo International Airport and towns in north-central Iloilo and neighboring provinces of Capiz and Aklan.
“This flyover is expected to shorten travel time from Iloilo City to the Iloilo Airport and other areas along Iloilo-Capiz Road (new route). This will decongest traffic along the intersection along Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue and Felix Gorriceta Avenue in Pavia,” Oropel added./PN
