ILOILO City – The timeline for the completion of the P800-million four-lane Aganan flyover in Barangay Aganan, Pavia, Iloilo will depend on the findings of the third-party consultant that will conduct a soil test thereat, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6.
Its current progress report on the flyover showed a 72 percent completion rate. Construction started on July 2020, with a target work period of 24 months or two years. But the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic slowed down the construction.
Then work on the flyover – which would be 436.90 meters long including the protection approaches and right of way – was halted on December 2022 following concerns on the stability of the soil on which it is being erected.
To date, DPWH-6 does not yet have a third-party consultant. It will still hold a bidding in the second week of July for hiring a consultant to undertake the geotechnical investigation, which involves conducting soil tests at a budget of P15 million.
The test marks the third attempt to confirm the integrity of the soil beneath the flyover following inconsistent results from two previous tests.
Post-bidding, the selected consultant is expected to immediately begin the soil testing process.
DPWH-6 director Engr. Sanny Boy Oropel expressed his expectation for the third-party consultant to complete the geotechnical investigation within 45 days.
Straddling the major intersection of the Old Iloilo-Capiz Road and Felix Gorriceta Jr. Avenue, the Aganan flyover is meant to ease traffic congestion in this crucial point that leads in and out of Iloilo City.
Oropel emphasized that the budget for this consultant is not an additional expenditure for the flyover project itself but was requisitioned specifically to clarify the results due to the critical safety implications, referencing concerns raised by similar issues with the Ungka flyover in nearby Barangay Ungka 2, Pavia.
The move to engage a third-party consultant followed discrepancies in the test results conducted by the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) and the confirmatory and seismic tests by DPWH-6.
UTCP had been commissioned by the Bureau of Design (BOD) of the DPWH-Central Office to conduct soil tests and design both the Aganan and Ungka flyovers.
According to Oropel, UTCP’s results indicated solid soil at a depth of 24 meters, while DPWH’s tests suggested the presence of solid soil only at 54 meters deep.
This significant difference in findings prompted DPWH-6 to push for hiring an independent consultant to definitively determine which results were accurate, ensuring no future liability issues.
In the case of the flyover in Ungka, the infrastructure suffered vertical displacement and is now being repaired. Following this, the construction of the Aganan flyover was stopped as a precautionary measure.
Oropel clarified that he does not have the authority to determine fault regarding the differing test results, but is focused on moving forward to ensure the Aganan flyover’s timely and safe public use.
Furthermore, Oropel explained that for projects exceeding P300 million, such as the Aganan flyover which is budgeted at P802 million, the design responsibility falls to the BOD, whereas regional offices handle designs for projects under P300 million./PN
