PIA Dispatch - Tuesday, January 26, 2010

P1-B road construction project set for release in twin Agusan provinces

BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 - The government is set to release the P1-billion fund for the fast-tracking of ground works of the Butuan City and Agusan del Sur road project, a public works and highways official said Tuesday.

This fund is part of the P1.73-billion Philippine-Japan Highway Loan-Project Management Office (PJHL-PMO) of Butuan City-Las Nieves-Esperanza-Bayugan City Road project under the Philippine-Japan Highway Loan-Project Management Office.

This road project will serve as a link between Butuan City, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur in Northeastern Mindanao (Region Xlll) and ultimately connect to the agricultural-rich province of Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao  (Region 10).

This multi-year 2009-2010 project is one of the mega-billion projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) promised in Northeastern Mindanao.

Last year, the government initially released P500 million for the immediate start of the ground works of the 61-kilometer Rural Road Network Development Project-III (RRNDP) of Butuan City-Las Nieves-Esperanza-Bayugan City road project.

This mega-billion project was started on March last year and is expected to be completed on June 2011, said Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo.

He said the project involves the construction and improvement of road pavement, drainage and slope protection. It also involves improvement and upgrading of road shoulders and construction of four bridges.

“This is a big plus factor to the economic activity of the two regions once completed,” added Momo.

Meanwhile, Region XIII Regional Director Dr. Evelyn T. Barroso told Momo that the damaged portion caused by landslide in the Bacuag-Claver road section in Surigao del Norte is already passable by all type of vehicles after the ground engineers of the Surigao del Norte 1st District Engineering Office led by District Engineer Linda Uypala made the round-the-clock supervision to the Pancho Construction’s immediate repair.

The pockets of landslide in the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road  happened during the weeklong torrential rains in the region early this month.

“Despite of this situation, the 4.81 kilometers access road via Veruela in Agusan del Sur is already completed ahead of schedule,” Barroso added.

The access road was constructed to pave way the commencement of the ground works of the P263.33-million Ihawan Bridge in Veruela town.

Ihawan Bridge project is part of the Urgent Bridges Construction Project for Rural Development Contract Package lV of the DPWH Caraga, Barroso further said. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)