P905M infrastructure projects lined up for Northern Negros

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

AROUND P905-million worth of infrastructure projects have been lined up by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Office this year.

These include the improvement of the national highway traversing the three legislative districts in northern Negros Occidental: the 1st congressional district under Rep. Julio Ledesma IV, which was allotted P276.747-million for road projects; the second district under Congressman Alfredo Marañon III with P197.006 million; and P432.087 million for the third district under Rep. Alfredo Benitez, with focus on the construction of the new Bacolod-Silay Airport access road worth P369.666 million.

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This after no less than Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson reportedly noted the fast deterioration of national road pavement due to truck overloading, especially during the sugarcane milling season, the agency said.

“Although there is an existing weighbridge stationed at Talisay City that regulates overloaded trucks and trailers passing the highway, this is not enough to service the entire northern Negros,” it added.

DPWH also already requested additional funding for the establishment of another weighbridge station that will be put up in Escalante City to support the agency’s anti-overloading program.

Under Republic Act 8794 or the Anti-Overloading Law, allowable axle load effective last February 2011 is up to 13,500 kilograms while enforcement on the gross vehicle weight (GVW) limit, which supposedly started last May 1, is still deferred pending arrangements with the Philippine Ports Authority, Department of Trade and Industry and other stakeholders in the synchronization of the weighing operations and the finalization of the revised GVW limits for each truck/trailer type. (CGC)