BY IME SORNITO and GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO – An Ilonggo structural engineer warned of an “impending disaster” if the P680-million newly-built but defective Ungka flyover in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia, Iloilo is not repaired promptly.
Motorists and everyday passersby, and even photos circulating on social media, point to conspicuous gaps or kat-al and angkat between the girders and cross beam of the flyover.
Engineer Nilo Jardeleza said there’s a disaster waiting to happen, citing the busy road beneath the flyover and nearby gasoline stations.
The gap between the girders and cross beam is progressing fast under the flyover’s own weight and this could accelerate if additional weight is introduced to the structure, he said.
Jardeleza was reacting to calls for the opening of the flyover to light vehicles to ease the traffic congestion in the area.
“Kon madugangan pa ina [flyover’s service load], mahulog na ang girder. Karon naga-progress ang iya nga salop ukon pagkat-al bisan wala pa sia karga kag wala sang service load. Sa bug-at pa lang sang superstructure, sang board pile, pier kag cross beam nagasalop na sia,” Jardeleza said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Iloilo yesterday, Jan. 11.
It would be dangerous to introduce more weight to the flyover, he stressed.
“Delikado na ina. May impending nga disaster kon i-analyze mo gid sa pag-progreso ‘ya. Kadasig,” said Jardeleza.
At this point in time, public safety is paramount, he stressed.
Jardeleza added: “Puede pa bala maagyan ang inang sa babaw bisan light vehicles? Indi amo na ang pamangkot. Ang pamangkot amo ‘ni: Aan-o indi na puede maagyan ang sa dalom kay delikado, bug-at na.”
The other day, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 director Nerie Bueno disclosed having asked the department’s Bureau of Design (BOD) to open a portion of the Ungka flyover for small and light vehicles.
Bueno said doing so would ease the congestion in the area, especially that the Dinagyang Festival is fast approaching and Iloilo would be deluged with visitors.
Cong. Michael Gorriceta of the 2nd District of Iloilo sent, too, a letter to DWPH secretary Manuel Bonoan requesting the same once the retrofitting of the flyover is done.
‘SAVE UNGKA FLYOVER’
The direction now is to save the flyover, said Bueno, “because we have spent so much for that project.
During a meeting with Mayor Jerry P. Treñas on Jan. 10, Bueno said what they are asking now is a little more time.
“Kasi hindi pa po namin sure kung ano ang pinaka-magandang intervention. We might as well do a solution na alam natin na hindi pa-palpak kasi if we are rushing, like na-ease ang traffic (and) we are happy but later on nagkaroon naman ng problema kasi pinipilit nating gawin ‘di pa nga sure the reason why it’s like that,” she explained.
The DPWH regional director admitted that the problem is not on the structure itself but more on its foundation.
“Siguro po it’s on the foundation. ‘Yung soil po siguro. Medyo malambot po sa ilalim,” she said.
Though there was already an initial intervention to stop the settlement, Bueno said the jet grouting is not the permanent solution.
“If we don’t stop the settlement masyado po ‘yang bababa and later on we will not be able to use the existing structure anymore. While waiting for the permanent solution, we have to stop the settlement,” she further explained.
The design of the Ungka flyover was done by the DPWH-BOD and was implemented by the DPWH Region 6.
“Ang gusto ko i-make sure po talaga na ganito ang problema, ito ‘yung tamang solution and we do it the right way rather than rushing things, na binuksan tapos may palpak pala. Parang nakaka-create din po ng disappointment instead na maging happy ang mga tao,” Bueno added.
Meanwhile, regarding the contractor’s attempt to temporarily support the flyover’s superstructure by installing steel cross beams under piers 4, 5, and 6 (if counting the posts from Christ the King Memorial Park), Jardeleza commented that the support should be installed under the girders to make the weight even or uniform.
“Kon lain ang ginsuporta kag ara man gihapon ang karga kag sige ang panaog due to its own weight, there is a impending disaster kon tan-awon gid naton. In fact, kon indi na naton paglantawon seriously delikado ina, preparahan gid ina,” Jardeleza said.
Because of this, he said Pavia mayor Luigi Gorriceta already coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 to come up with measures against this “impending disaster”.
The engineer also reminds everyone and local government units (LGUs) and concerned national agencies that people’s safety should take precedence over everything else.
He thanked Iloilo City mayor Jerry P. Treñas for calling a meeting with DPHW-6 officials regarding the flyover on Jan. 10.
Jardeleza also called on the city mayor to focus on the “impending disaster”. He suggested that Treñas and DPWH-6 officials discussed releasing an official public advisory on this.
“It should [be] advisory na, paramount ang safety of public, indi ang economic, indi ang cultural or whatever, paramount gid ‘na (safety of public), unahon gid ‘na ‘ya,” Jardeleza said.
NO OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANT
For now, the DPWH regional director noted that they have no official engagement yet with the third-party consulting firm that will do the independent findings on the flyover as they are still waiting for the release of the fund. However, she stressed that all requirements needed for the said undertaking are now all ready.
“As of this time, kasi bago pong dating ang new year, we are just trying to wait for the funds to be released para ma-engage po natin ang third-party,” Bueno said.
Bueno, however, could not give a timeline as to when the third-party consultant will intervene. She noted that the fund is expected to be released on the second or third week of this month.
“Because it is down there, sa foundation ang problema natin, we have to perform so many activities po… Hindi po ganoon kadali. Our third-party consultant po wala namang available dito so we have to get it from Manila,” she said.
Bueno further explained that it is also the third-party consultant who will disclose the cause of the settlement of the flyover./PN
