TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways regional office in Eastern Visayas (DPWH-8) announced on Thursday that the P12.8-billion road project offering an alternate route to the proposed site of an international seaport is already commencing.
According to DPWH-8 regional director Allan Borromeo, the agency already completed 84.69 percent of the funded portion of Tacloban City Bypass Road Extension project, which is 11.28 percent higher than the target accomplishment rate based on the total released funds.
“A total of P12.8 billion is needed to fully complete the whole stretch of the bypass road, of which, P1.498 billion has already been funded from 2018-2022,” Borromeo said.
Works included in the project are the construction of a six-lane roadway with a total length of 33 kilometers, construction of drainage structure, road slope protection structure, and two permanent bridges.
Borromeo added that the agency is also currently working on the construction of the 1.040-kilometer concrete road and 13,859-square kilometer slope protection structure while the rest of the bypass road project is programmed for implementation in 2023 onwards.
“Once completed, the project is expected to decongest traffic along Tacloban-Babatngon Road going to Tacloban City Proper shortening the travel time from 1 1/2 hours to 45 minutes, and will also complement the proposed international seaport that will be constructed in the town of Babatngon, Leyte,” Borromeo said.
Babatngon town is also seen as the Leyte’s end of the proposed alternate bridge to the ageing San Juanico Bridge that will connect Leyte and Samar islands.
Borromeo said that besides providing shorter travel time, the Tacloban City Bypass Road Extension will positively affect the economy of Eastern Visayas through enhanced mobility of people, goods and services.
He added that diversion roads not only provide alternate routes to alleviate traffic in highly congested areas, but also are perceived to positively affect economic status of under-developed communities that will be traversed by these infrastructures.