ILOILO – No further displacements or defects were observed at the P680-million Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia town since January this year, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 officer-in-charge (OIC) regional director Sanny Boy Oropel.
The DPWH-6 chief, and Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto and Construction Division chief Ormel Santos, appeared before the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members of Pavia for a “question hour” yesterday.
Pavia SB members sought updates on the Ungka flyover.
Oropel told the town council that since he assumed his post on the first week of August this year, he had been discussing with the engineers of DPWH-6 how to evaluate the actual status of the flyover while waiting for the recommended scheme of rectification from their central office’s Bureau of Design (BOD).
It was then decided that they would have a series of dynamic load tests in the last week of August.
Following the information that no further defects were observed, Pavia SB members asked if light vehicles could now utilize the Ungka flyover.
The OIC regional director said he has yet to present the dynamic load test results to DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan who will have the final say.
“Whatever decision that will be made, whatever points that will be discussed, or whatever decision that will be made by the Secretary, I will update you,” added Oropel.
During his planned meeting with the Secretary, Oropel also wanted Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants to be present for a consultation on the next possible move.
“We are proposing or bringing the idea of Honorable Secretary nga ma-dialogue kita sa third-party consultant, including kon ano ang next move naton before sang rectification,” Oropel said.
In the meantime, he told the Pavia SB members: “We are making daily observations not only on a portion of the structure but the whole structure itself.”
Oropel also said it is safe to pass by, or even park, under the flyover.
The United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP), during the time of then DPWH-6 regional director Engr. Nerie Bueno, issued a certification that the structure was safe despite exhibiting a vertical displacement.
UTCP was the third-party firm hired by the DPWH-BOD to design the Ungka flyover.
Meanwhile, regarding the road widening beneath the flyover, Oropel disclosed that some private lots in Barangay Ungka, Jaro, Iloilo City still needed to be acquired due to disagreements in pricing.
Oropel cited as example the private lot (near Christ the King Memorial Park) where speed humps were installedc.
The lot owner was asking P33,000 per square meter, much higher than the P13,000 per square meter offer from DPWH.
But the OIC regional director assured the Pavia SB they were finding solutions to this to alleviate the heavy traffic flow./PN
