ILOILO City – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 officer-in-charge Sanny Boy Oropel set a timeline for the contractor of the Jibao-an flyover in Barangay Jibao-an, Mandurriao.
International Builders Corporation (IBC) must finish the flyover on Sept. 30, given good weather conditions.
This deadline will give DPWH-6 a good two weeks to evaluate the flyover and meet the target opening date of Oct. 15, said Oropel.
IBC had previously committed to complete the Jibao-an flyover by Oct. 30. But the regional director himself checked the ongoing work and concluded that an earlier was achievable.
“Hopefully ang flyover itself mapaagyan na by Oct. 15, two weeks after sang gin-promisa sang contractor nga tapuson,” Oropel told Panay News on Sunday.
The remaining job on the flyover are the abutments and approaches. The main structure, including the girders, is complete.
Oropel and DPWH-6 rassistant director Engr. Jose Al Fruto inspected the two multi-million flyover projects in Iloilo – the Aganan flyover, implemented by the regional office, and the Jibao-an flyover, implemented by the Iloilo City District Engineering Office – on the first week of August, shortly after the OIC regional director took the post.
The P591-million Jibao-an flyover, which runs along the Iloilo Circumferential Road (C-1), is 240 meters long with two lanes comprising six 40-meter-span pre-stressed concrete girders (PSCG).
Construction began in the last quarter of 2020.
Meanwhile, the road widening under the flyover is expected to be delayed due to right-of-way problems.
“May duha na dapat nga i-construct nga lanes, isa ka lane both sides para sa traffic… we are now negotiating,” Oropel said.
The two-week evaluation of engineers from DPWH-6 and ICDEO is to forgo conducting a dry run, just like in the Buhang flyover at the Iloilo Circumferential Road – Iloilo-Capiz Road (new route) intersection in Jaro district.
The DPWH-6 and ICDEO are yet to discuss whether guidelines will be imposed on allowable vehicles on the flyover.
“Once matapos ang flyover, definitely it will lessen all the traffic passing to the intersection sa dalom,” Oropel said.
The Jibao-an flyover aims to provide access to the southern part of Iloilo and the neighboring province of Antique and minimize traffic congestion in the adjacent towns of Pavia and San Miguel to Metro Iloilo and the streets along Mandurriao district.
During the inspection, Oropel instructed the project engineers of these two flyovers to ensure that the implementation was in accordance with the approved designs and safety standards.
He also reminded them to be very hands-on during the course of the implementation to avoid unnecessary circumstances.
“These flyover projects are important parts of urban infrastructure development. Thus, we should ensure that building these structures meets the approved standards and is safe for public use. They should be built and maintained in accordance with the approved design and safety standards,” Oropel stressed./PN
