AFTER four years since its construction kicked off, Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon revealed that the Tagum Flyover is set to open for motorists in October 2021, while the full completion of the project is targeted to be in January 2022.
Rellon said in a radio interview that based on their recent coordination meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the flyover will be passable to vehicles by the last quarter of the year.
He added that this is in preparation for the planned rerouting of vehicles to pave the way for the completion and concreting of the highway below it.
He said the vehicles will be redirected to the flyover as some portions of the six-lane highway will be paved.
He added that they expect the full competition of the project by the first quarter of 2022.
"We expect na full up and down next year's first quarter," Rellion said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
The 1.6-kilometer flyover project along Tagum’s Daang Maharlika National Highway has a total cost of P2.7 billion.
DPWH-Davao Region Spokesperson Dean Ortiz said in a previous interview that the project is necessary to spur development in Tagum City.
Some in the business sector have been apprehensive about the project, Ortiz admitted.
"But since they are from that sector, they should be the one to understand that it is for them. They should also have an idea of what is going to happen in that city in the future and traffic will be one of the major problems by then. This is actually for the development of Tagum. This project will help their businesses,” Ortiz added.
The project was also questioned by former Davao del Norte governor Rodolfo del Rosario, who said the project did not go through a proper process. He added that the flyover project is not necessary.
“For me, putting up a flyover is not the solution. Why not put up traffic lights and hire more traffic enforcers?” Del Rosario said in a 2019 interview.
Tagum City planning and development coordinator Sonny Manigo, however, said flyover underwent a proper process.