The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is preparing for the construction of P15 billion worth of new road network projects in Eastern Visayas Region in the next two to five years.
In a statement, Emil Sadain, DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) operations head,said he recently presented a road map for short- and long-term projects which will help spur the improvement of infrastructure services in Eastern Visayas and move the region into a virtuous circle of growth and development.
The long-term projectsinclude the P7-billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road (SPCR) Phase 2, P3-billion iconic LiloanBridge and the P5-billion iconic Maasin Coastal Bypass Bridge.
For SPCR Phase 2, DPWH has completed the feasibility study for two long span bridges with a total length of 1.4 kilometers. The feasibility study was prepared by the UPMO roads management cluster 2 and its consultants through financial assistance from the Korean Eximbank.
According to Sadain, the SPCR Phase 2 from Catarman-Laoang Road junction to Laoang-Palapag Road junction will lessen the travel time and establish a sustainable economic development foundation in Northern Samar.
SPCR Phase 2 will complement the ongoing 11.60-km. SPCR Phase 1 which is now 59 percent complete.It will connect the “Pacific Towns” from the Simorajunction, Laoang and traverses the remote villages of Laoang and Palapag.
In addition, DPWH is in discussion with the Export-Import Bank of Korea for the implementation of the 1.1-km. Maasin Coastal Bypass Bridge,while the agency is also preparing theLiloan Bridge concept paper.
Sadainsaid DPWH has identified six projectsunder the short-term priorities that will be financedusing local funds in Southern Leyte.
These projects are the road widening along Liloan to San Ricardo Road section; construction of missing links for the San Ricardo to Bilatansection of Liloan-San Ricardo Circumferential Road; road widening along Dang Maharlika N1-primary roads, 17.38-km.Liloan to boundary; saddle area along Liloan-San Ricardo section; construction of Silago-Abuyog Coastal Road, Leyte; and improvement of the newly converted national road in Southern Leyte.
