ILOILO City – The temporarily closure of the P680-million, newly-opened four-lane Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia town would be extended.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 appealed for further understanding.
Consultants and the Bureau of Designs of DPWH’s central office have completed assessing the flyover and have submitted their recommendations to resolve the vertical displacement observed in three out of 16 piers.
A pier is an overall system that extends to the ground below, including the posts supporting the girders, coping and columns. It is used to support the superstructure of the flyover.
Engineer Jose Al Fruto, DPWH-6 assistant regional director, said engineers from the DPWH central office advised a temporary shoring plan in three piers, specifically piers 4, 5, and 6 (if counting the posts from Christ the King Memorial Park), where vertical displacements were observed.
Shoring means a support made of steel (shoring jack) will be set in place by the International Builders Corporation (IBC), the project contractor, around the three aforementioned piers to avoid progression of displacement.
“Daw tukod bala,” Fruto told Panay News.
Yesterday morning, the contractor had already started working on the temporary shoring which will last for an estimated three-week period, but the IBC aims to finish it earlier.
Fruto clarified that this is just a temporary solution because they are still choosing between two proposed final engineering interventions which would be more applicable to the problem, further implying that the closure would go beyond just three weeks.
“Ang ginahambal ta nga three weeks, amo na ang temporary shoring while gina-finalize ang recommendation sang pinaka-best nga engineering solution or intervention. So may ara pa kita nga obrahon,” added Fruto.
The flyover was closed on Sept. 18, just two weeks after it was fully opened to traffic.
DPWH still cannot determine the reason for the vertical displacement, which is why further inspection is ongoing, said Fruto.
He also insisted that the project plan and specifications were followed during the construction.
“We are doing everything nga as soon as possible mapagamit dayun ang tulay naton (but) paramount ang safety, we do not compromise the safety sang commuters,” added Fruto.
The Ungka flyover is 453.7 lineal meters long on a bored pile foundation, including the approaches. Construction started in January 2020.
The flyover passes over the busy intersection of the Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) and the President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue (Circumferential Road 1). It aims to decongest traffic in the area and shorten the travel time to the Iloilo Airport (in Cabatuan, Iloilo) from Iloilo City to just 20 minutes./PN
