SAN SIMON -- Following the complaints aired by affected motorists, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has vowed to provide a long-term solution to the deteriorated portion of MacArthur Highway stretching from Sto. Tomas to Apalit towns.
During a meeting called by Mayor Leonora Wong at her office, DPWH-Pampanga First Office Engineer II Froilan Santos said that their office will facilitate the rehabilitation of the major thoroughfare.
Santos said that concreting, instead of asphalt laying, may be done on the said portion of MacArthur Highway to avoid being battered during the rainy season, which often results to huge crater-like potholes.
“Asphalt pavement is prone to wearing and breakage once soaked in floodwater. Once water penetrates the asphalt, it washes out the base underneath it, causing it to crack, break down and collapse, thus resulting to surfacing of potholes,” Santos explained.
He noted that the concreting of the road pavement is more ideal for low-lying areas, especially at the CDCP junction in San Simon area, and in the portion of Barangay Sto. Domingo in Minalin town, which are considered as catch basins of water.
Aside from concreting of the road pavement, Santos said his office will also look into the upgrading of the almost 10-kilometer stretch of MacArthur Highway to avoid flooding in the area.
The construction of a new and improved canal system in the area is also eyed alongside the upgrading and concreting of the road pavement to ensure the free flowing of floodwaters.
“Construction of a new canal system is also needed since most of the existing canals are not quite functional anymore, especially in the portion of CDCP junction here in San Simon where water becomes stagnant,” he said.
However, motorists and commuters might need to extend their patience longer in passing by the damaged road as the fund to be used for the project is yet to be included in the 2019 budget of the DPWH.
“The budget for 2018 is completed. We have already made a request to include this in the 2019 budget and by January next year, the listings will be released and it will be included,” Santos said.
No more delays
During the meeting, Wong told the DPWH officials the rehabilitation of the damaged MacArthur Highway cannot be delayed further as the affected motorists and commuters have suffered enough and have also affected the delivery of goods and commodities in the fourth district.
She disclosed that the local government and officials here have been bombarded by complaints from affected motorists and commuters, citing the inconvenience caused by the damaged road to their daily transportation.
“Thousands of motorists and commuters are affected by this road problem. The MacArthur Highway serves not only Simonians but also residents from other towns in Pampanga and even in Bulacan,” she said.
“We cannot afford anymore delays here. The local government has been implementing temporary solutions like pumping out of water and creating alternate routes but those are just temporary and still cost a lot of inconvenience to motorists here,” she added.
Wong suggested to the DPWH to conduct “advanced work” where the government can ask its trusted contractors to implement the program in advance with assurance that they will be paid once funds are out.
In reply, Santos said that they will relay the proposal to the regional office and will seek the assistance of fourth district officials such as Representative Juan Pablo “Rimpy” Bondoc who may know contractors that will agree to such a scheme.