City execs mull rehab of Balimbing Creek

Sunday, February 12, 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Mayor Oscar Rodriguez asked Public Works officials and other stakeholders to study further the proposal to have the Balimbing Creek rehabilitated and expanded.

The creek traverses Barangay Del Carmen, Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA) to Barangay San Jose.

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Rodriguez said improving Balimbing Creek and connecting it to the main Sagip Ilog channel in San Jose would ease and stop flooding along JASA, greatly benefitting investors and businesses in the area.

Service roads adjacent to the creek will also be constructed, he added, to provide alternate routes for motorists plying the avenue going to San Jose and the city proper.

According to City Engineer Nelson Lingat, the National Government proposal is to have the creek expanded to 25 meters based on average right of way. Desilting Balimbing Creek, he said, will be included in the work plan.

"The creek is about 1.2 kilometers and about 600 linear meters on both sides long with narrow overlaps in some critical portions. That is why the mayor wants it expanded and rehabilitated without affecting so much existing edifices along the way. But rehabilitating, expanding and desilting it regularly will prevent flooding along low parts of JASA, Greenville and the city proper. We have to study this carefully for its implementation since realignments would have to be made," Lingat told Sun.Star Pampanga.

Funding for the improvement of the creek and its surroundings, including slope protection, he revealed, would be sourced out from MPO-MPE's savings of around P18 million, with P20 million more coming from the National Government, as requested by Rodriguez.

Lingat added that access roads with a rotunda would be constructed adjacent to the creek.

"There would be a two-lane access road on the left side going to San Jose. A rotunda will also be constructed with u-turn slots. It's a road network connecting JASA, San Jose and possibly Del Carmen," he said.

"The good news is stakeholders who might be affected by the project have given their nod and permission. Once realized, the area would definitely benefit Fernandinos and lead to more developments," Lingat said.