Sunday, October 28, 2007 Opening of bids for bridge project set Nov. 13 By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE winning contractor for the Bankerohan bridge project will finally be known November 13, as the opening of the bids is scheduled on this day.
Representative Prospero Nograles (1st district, Davao City) said there are four remaining contractors who were qualified to bid for the bridge project.
He said the amount of the project was also reduced from P300 million to P209 million.
Nograles said the target date for the completion of the bridge is still April 2008.
He added that the funds were sourced from the savings of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Office of the President.
The Dabawenyo congressman said the delay was due to the change of previously approved design, which was just a steel bridge to a concrete bridge.
"Because I objected to a steel bridge that looks cheap," Nograles said.
The bridge project was center of criticisms by many Dabawenyos including Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who expressed disappointment on the delay of the construction.
The bridge collapsed last April and six months after, nothing much happened and construction was not started.
The City Council even conducted an inquiry on the delay and invited DPWH-Southern Mindanao director Hadji Pundidato Mitmug to shed light on the matter.
