ILOILO – When will the flyover being constructed in Barangay Aganan, Pavia town be completed?
For the time being, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region 6 won’t commit to a specific date.
When asked about the deadline or project timeline at the regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan of Pavia yesterday, Director Sanny Boy Oropel said it would depend on their third-party consultant’s assessment.
“Once we have the third-party consultant budget released, we can discuss timelines. Until then, it’s premature to speculate,” he said.
The Aganan flyover’s construction began in July 2020. When completed, it would be 436.90 meters long including the protection approaches and right of way.
Oropel said DPWH-6 is proceeding with caution regarding the Aganan flyover project, prioritizing public and commuter safety.
Since December 2022, construction has been halted, awaiting further decisions.
Oropel said DPWH-6 is currently waiting for a budget allocation of between P10 million and P15 million from the DPWH Central Office. This funding is intended for hiring a third-party consultant to determine the necessary data for redesigning the flyover.
This decision to redesign followed varying results from soil tests conducted by the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) and confirmatory and seismic tests by DPWH-6. UTCP was engaged by the Bureau of Design (BOD) of the DPWH Central Office to conduct soil tests and design both the Aganan flyover and the controversial Ungka flyover which is also in Pavia (Barangay Ungka II).
“Based on the confirmatory tests, including the seismic test we conducted, it appears that the data provided by UTCP significantly differs from what is actually needed for this project,” Oropel explained during the council session.
In a previous interview with Panay News, Oropel mentioned that according to UTCP data, the firm reached stable soil at a depth of 24 meters, which was used as the basis for the depth of the piers. However, DPWH-6 tests indicated that stable soil was actually found at a depth of 54 meters, prompting the need for a third-party consultant to verify the correct information and prevent future discrepancies.
Oropel emphasized that he does not have the authority to assign blame or pinpoint errors but is focused on moving forward.
“What we are doing in the regional office is to advance the necessary rectifications, based on the findings of the third-party consultant, to ensure the project’s design is sound,” he said.
The third-party consultant will ultimately determine whether the current design based on UTCP data should proceed or if significant modifications are necessary.
“If the project’s worth is P300 million and above, the design is handled by the BOD, while projects under this amount are designed by regional offices,” Oropel clarified.
The Aganan flyover has a budget of P802 million.
Currently, it is 72% complete, said Oropel, and recent instructions from the BOD include considering the installation of steel girders at the 50-meter intersection of the flyover, awaiting further studies on soil exploration across the entire stretch of the structure./PN
