THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to construct an east diversion road project to help solve traffic congestion in Zamboanga City.
The project includes the construction of a viaduct, starting from Veterans Avenue in Zone 4 village to Barangay Mampang, with an estimated length of 6.64 kilometers. There will also be a road (earth embankment section) with an estimated length of 7.96 kilometers, extending from Barangay Mampang to Socorro Street in Culianan village.
Engineer Lilibeth Rico, head of the information, education and communication social safeguards of the DPWH, said the road-viaduct project will serve as an alternate route to the existing city roads which are experiencing heavy traffic, especially during peak hours.
Rico said the project is envisaged to decongest north and southbound traffic, i.e. cargo trucks, public buses and jeepneys crossing the city’s downtown area, which presently aggravates the urban core congestion.
The project will traverse the villages of Zone 4, Rio Hondo, Mariki, Talon-Talon, Mampang, Zambowood and Mercedes in line with the city’s new Zamboanga International Airport Project.
In preparation for the implementation of the project, the DPWH is conducting an information and education campaign from November 9 to 13, and Environmental Baseline Sampling from November 13 to 23.
Rico said that other activities like stakeholders’ consultation meetings and focus group discussions have yet to be scheduled.
Rico and her team met with Mayor John Dalipe and other city government officials on Thursday, November 9, at City Hall where they discussed the project, which will be funded under DPWH’s Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan.
Dalipe was visibly elated as he welcomed the new road-viaduct project, saying it would help address the city’s traffic congestion problem and ultimately boost the economy of Zamboanga City.
“We are happy to have this project because we need to open up more roads to further improve the city’s economy,” Dalipe said. (SunStar Zamboanga)