ILOILO City – The long-awaited rectification of the P680-million defective Ungka flyover is set to commence soon, as preparations for the P300-million budget are now underway.
Former Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon made this announcement during his site inspection yesterday afternoon.
He visited the four key flyovers in both the city and province of Iloilo: Buhang flyover in Barangay Buhang, Jaro district; Hibao-an flyover in Barangay Hibao-an, Mandurriao district; Aganan flyover in Barangay Aganan, Pavia; and, notably, the Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia.
“We have identified the necessary rectifications for the design flaws, and the P300-million budget is already under favorable consideration. We anticipate no problems with its release in the early part of next year,” said Drilon.
He added optimistically that the Ungka flyover should be fully operational by August 2024.
This commitment was further reinforced by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6’s officer-in-charge, Engineer Sanny Boy Oropel.
During the site inspection, Oropel, along with Assistant Director Jose Al Fruto, provided additional insights.
Oropel noted that the first portion of the budget might be disbursed as early as next week. Assuming a smooth procurement process, repair work on the Ungka flyover could kick off between the third and fourth weeks of November this year.
However, potential traffic congestion during the festive Christmas season and Dinagyang Festival 2024 has been taken into consideration. This congestion, especially around Barangay Ungka in the Jaro district and Barangay Ungka II in Pavia, led the DPWH-6 to decide to prioritize jet grouting on the flyover’s 13 piers.
The original repair plan centered on adding 47 meters to the depth of piers 4, 5, and 6, which currently stand at 28 meters. Oropel explained that this would require demolishing the spans that the three piers support.
Considering the upcoming holiday traffic and the Dinagyang Festival, the DPWH-6 resolved to commence with the jet grouting of the remaining 13 piers. The more intensive repairs on piers 4, 5, and 6 have been slated for the first quarter of 2024.
Oropel elaborated, “To minimize disruption, we’re introducing the jet grouting pier-by-pier. This allows us to maintain partial flyover access for light vehicles.”
Upon the allocation of the next budget tranche in early 2024, the DPWH-6 will initiate the demolition of spans over piers 4, 5, and 6.
It’s worth noting that Engr. Adam Abinales of Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants has previously advocated for additional bored piles as a more feasible solution. But while this would significantly boost the group pile capacity, it would also necessitate the removal and possible replacement of existing prestressed concrete girders due to the large equipment used for drilling.
For the other piers, the consultant firm advised underpinning the existing structures with intensive jet grouting, recommending a depth of at least 100 meters for the remaining piers./PN
