Saturday, December 09, 2006 Mindanao road projects to start soon: DPWH
HEAVY equipments of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are expected to start their massive earth-moving activities by March 2007 on a 117.30-kilometer coastal road, which will connect the towns of Sibuco, Siraway, Siocon, Baliguian and Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte.
When completed in October 2009, this P1.326-B project is seen to improve the peace and order situation in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.
Having completed the detailed engineering design and the procurement for civil works in September 2006, the construction of the P2.065-B Awang-Upi-Lebak road in Maguindanao province is expected to start in April 2007 and is due for completion in November 2009.
To provide accessibility between the urban and rural centers of Dinagat Island, in Surigao del Norte, the national government will improve its 15-kilometer road for P100-M. Construction is expected to start in April 2007 because it is due for completion in seven months.
The construction of a section (out of the 5 sections) of the P6.278-B Surigao-Davao Coastal Road, which spans from Bacuag, Surigao del Norte to Mati, Davao Oriental, bisecting Surigao del Sur had started in October 2004. This project, which is 60 percent funded by the World Bank and the rest by the government of the Philippines, is due for completion in August 2010.
In fact, the Manay-Mati (Davao Oriental) section has already recorded a physical accomplishment of 59.30 percent. Since engineering preparations are underway, full-blast operations in all the four other sections are expected to start in the early part of 2007.
Seen to propel the development of tourism and provide a wider market for marine agriculture products in the Zamboanga peninsula, the 10.8-kilometer Dapitan City-Dakak road shall be widened at a cost of P210 million out of domestic funds. Civil works are expected to start in April 2007 and completed sometime in August 2009.
In a bid to cut travel time between Tubod, Lanao del Norte and Tangub City by 2 hours and 30 minutes, the Arroyo administration is now trying to fund the P2.7 billion 2-kilometer bridge across Panguil Bay. This project shall be implemented through public-private partnership.
To increase Northern Mindanao's capabilities on job generation, economic opportunities, socio-political stability and to ensure a better quality of life for its denizens, the construction of the P5.386-B Laguindingan Airport Development Project in Misamis Oriental has been scheduled to commence in mid-May 2007.
This project would enable the regional to handle international flights by wide-bodied aircrafts. Financed with a combined National Government and Official Development Assistance (ODA) fund, a new runway of about 2.1 kilometers long and 45 meters wide shall be built along with a state-of-the-art passenger terminal building that could cater to 1.2 million passengers annually.
Since land acquisition is at least 94 percent completed, the contract for the construction of an access road to the project site is to be awarded anytime within the current month. Also within the current month, main civil works procurement is expected to commence.
At an estimated cost of P115 million, some shoreline protection structures shall be built in the Dipolog City Airport starting in the current month. At the same time, fresh asphalt shall be over-laid on its widened 814-meter runway. This project shall be completed in May 2007.
Similar airport improvement projects shall also be carried in the cities of Pagadian, Cotabato, Zamboanga, Butuan, Ozamis and Cagayan de Oro. The total cost of which would amount to some P1.35-B.
These projects are seen to increase the level of trade, tourism and investments within the sub-regional economic growth area (BIMP-Eaga). Some of airports will be able to improve their capabilities to handle night and extreme weather landings.
Physical improvements to be done by midyear 2007 at the seaport of Cagayan de Oro City have also been allocated some P181-M.
