ILOILO City – A year after it was fully closed to traffic on Sept. 18, 2022, the Ungka flyover’s three spans would be demolished, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 revealed.
DPWH-6 officer-in-charge director Engr. Sanny Boy Oropel said the pans or superstructures above piers 4, 5 and 6 would be demolished to make way for repairs. Vertical displacements were observed on piers 4, 5 and 6.
Project contractor International Builders Corporation (IBC) would shoulder the expenses.
“Gin-recommend sang consultant nga gub-on anay ang tatlo ka spans – 4 to 5, 5 to 6 and 6 to 7 – para may construction area kita nga ma-provide. However, ang gasto nga para i-restore sang tatlo ka spans nga naguba iya shoulder-ron sang IBC,” said Oropel in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.
There is, however, no timeline on this yet, he added.
“Ang demolition sang aton [porsyon sang] Ungka flyover, depends on the budget… It might be tomorrow, or next week, next year. We cannot give you a specific time table,” Oropel added.
Could Ilonggos use the idle P680-M flyover sooner than later?
Oropel is set to make an announcement on this today.
“We will discuss that tomorrow morning [Sept. 19]. But we are taking all possible considerations for our decision to be made tomorrow,” Oropel told Panay News yesterday after he was asked for confirmation if light vehicles may use the flyover anytime this year.
The information on the partial opening of the Ungka flyover surfaced following a media invitation from the government’s official public information arm, the Philippine Information Agency Region 6, with the subject: “The Department of Public Works and Highways 6 invites us to a Press Conference on the Partial Opening of the Ungka Flyover to Light Vehicles tomorrow, Sept. 19, at 9:30 a.m.”
“Ang aton bwas nga press conference is regarding Ungka flyover, but wala pa kami gahambal kon may opening or wala. So we will discuss those, tanan nga possible means i-discuss naton, pero siling nga very specific na ang may opening, wala pa kita maka-decide,” Oropel clarified.
He also did not confirm or deny if the hired third-party consulting firm, Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants, would present its final recommended scheme.
But he assured the public that, “We have the plan to follow whatever decision is made by the third-party consultant.”
Feasible recommended scheme
To recall, the more feasible scheme recommended by Engr. Adam Abinales was to provide additional bored piles.
* Pros – Group pile capacity will be significantly increased to sustain the required demand capacity at the pier base.
* Cons – To drive the additional bored piles, affected existing prestressed concrete (PSC) girders on coping beams will be removed and replaced, if necessary, since large equipment shall be used for drilling and driving bored piles.
Abinales also recommended removing and replacing the girders on piers 4, 5 and 6 to make way for the installation of additional bored piles with a depth of 40 meters or deeper.
“‘Yong piers 4, 5 and 6 kailangan natin ang additional na bored piles na malalim talaga para ma-sustain ‘yong load capacity,” Abinales said.
Currently, the depth of the bored piles at piers 4, 5 and 6 is only around 28 to 30 meters.
As to the remaining piers, the consulting firm recommended underpinning the existing piers and abutments, including existing bored piles, with intense jet grouting (recommended scheme No. 3).
Jet grounding is recommended to be at least 100 meters deep for the remaining piers.
Budget needed for rectification
The rectification would cost at least P250 million, according to Abinales.
“Medyo malaking pundo ang kailangan dito, nasa P250 million ang minimum kasi depende doon yan sa kalalabasan ng grouting din eh, pero we are looking as deep as 100 meters para sigurado na hindi na mag settle,” he said./PN
