Friday, August 17, 2007 Cave-in delays Escario repairs
A ROAD collapse blamed on diggings by Young Builders Corp. is delaying the ongoing repairs of Escario Ext. by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The company asked for 30 days starting Aug. 9 for DPWH to stop temporarily the road improvements along the stretch, because vibrations from heavy equipment might trigger another cave-in.
City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said that because of the request, DPWH will open Escario Ext. only by the end of the month or the first week of September.
Young Builders is reinforcing the sides of the excavation site to prevent more cave-ins, one of which already damaged a portion of J. Solon St., the area the company was ordered to repair.
When construction started last May, the company closed half of the two-lane road but without any authority from the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) or the City Council.
Excavation
A cease and desist order was already issued against Young Builders’ digging. It is also ordered to fix and secure the damaged area from further collapse.
A portion of J. Solon St. caved in following a heavy rain last Aug. 1. Before that, Young builders blocked one lane to serve as a buffer for an 11-meter digging.
The excavation was for the basement of a 25-story hotel that Young Builders was contracted to build.
After an inspection last Aug. 2, Citom’s technical infrastructure committee (TIC) reported that it discovered cracks along Archbishop Reyes Ave.
Young Builders admitted this: “The cracks on the asphalt pavement along Escario Ext. and Archbishop Reyes Ave. were significantly (caused by) the collapse of J. Solon St. slope protection.”
No Citom permit
The TIC also learned that “no permit or communication to the (Citom) was made prior to the closure.”
The company assured that remedial measures like the application of asphalt sealant were already made.
Young Builders also blamed the road project for causing surface water to drain towards the excavation site.
Project-in-charge Rommel Villareal said that drainage lines “were left undone, thus producing a large volume of surface water in the area.”
The excavation site is lower than the area where road improvements are being done. (RHM)
