ILOILO City – The underpass on the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (also called Diversion Road) in Mandurriao district is underutilized, according to the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) of the city government.
The underpass located below the approach of the Diversion Bridge – also called Iloilo Bridge – connects the first phase of the Iloilo Esplanade (from Diversion Bridge to Carpenter Bridge in Molo) to its third phase (along the Nabitasan-San Rafael by-pass road).
People likely eschew the underpass because of its sorry state. It is dingy, gets flooded during high tide at the Iloilo River and not well-lighted, according to PSTMO head Jeck Conlu.
The underpass needs improvement, he stressed.
He would get in touch with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The underpass has been designed as a safe alternative path for people crossing the busy Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, in the area near the Diversion Bridge.
Conlu inspected the underpass following the fatal vehicular accident on June 15 that killed an elementary school principal and his teacher wife who were crossing the avenue. They were avid early morning joggers at the Iloilo Esplanade./PN
