ILOILO – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is considering using steel instead of concrete for Aganan flyover’s girders in Barangay Aganan, Pavia town.
Steel may be used for the 50-meter span intersection part of the flyover, said DPWH assistant regional director Jose Al Fruto.
“The premise is that ang Ungka and Aganan (flyovers) isa lang ang nagplano or nag-design, so gina-upod na lang ang paglantaw kag pag-assess Fruto told Panay News yesterday.
The Ungka flyover, which was closed beginning September last year two weeks after it opened to traffic, suffers from vertical displacement.
“But we are not saying nga may issue or may deficiency man (in the Aganan flyover),” clarified Fruto.
Both flyovers were planned by DPWH’s Bureau of Design (BOD).
Fruto said steel girders are easy to fabricate and their use would hasten Aganan flyover’s completion.
“This is an alternative or option just in case…kay looking at it, bug-at gani ang 26 meters (referring to span being supported by problematic piers 4, 5 and 6 of the Ungka Flyover) how much more ang 50 meters span. Steel is lighter than concrete, sobra-sobra,” said Fruto.
It was also learned from Fruto that the third-party consulting firm hired by DPWH’s central office to assess the Ungka flover will also do the same to the Aganan flyover.
The concrete girders that are already in place won’t be dismantled, said Fruto.
He also confirmed that the construction of Aganan flyover’s main structural frame was temporarily beginning December 2022 while waiting for the third party’s assessment.
Work on the flyover’s approaches, however, is continuing.
To recall, the Aganan flyover construction started in July 2020 and it is supposed to be completed this year. The project has a budget of P802 million.
Fruto said they will stick with the timeline since the piers and some girders are already installed./PN
