DPWH undertakes Operation Zero Potholes project

DPWH Acting Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. in his memorandum dated August 23, 2005 has directed all his Regional Directors and District Engineers to undertake “Operation Zero Potholes” to ensure the smooth and unhampered flow of vehicular traffic along both primary and secondary national highways and to keep the roads potholes-free during and after the rainy season.

In compliance to this order, DPWH VI OIC-Regional Director Rolando M. Asis subsequently issued a memorandum dated August 24, 2005 to all District Engineers in the region to implement a project called “Operation Patching Potholes”

Operation Patching Potholes aims to implement measures to get rid of potholes particularly on national roads before the onset of the rainy season. “Use all resources of your district office to eliminate these potholes as early as possible,” Asis directed his District Engineers.

It is observed that water flow causes development of potholes.  As pre-emptive measures, “drainage facilities such as ditches, cross drains and lateral drains particularly along road sections located in mountainous and low-lying areas which are adversely affected by heavy rains must be free from obstructions to allow free flow of rain water run-off to drainage,” Asis said.

Under this project, DPWH District Engineers are expected to conduct frequent inspection of their areas of jurisdiction to identify and locate areas with pothole problems or road sections that manifest, based on road condition indicators(i.e. cracks, wheel ruts, raveling spalling, loss of surfacing, etc.), that potholes are likely to appear over time.

“Repairs must be prompt and immediate to preempt any further development of defects,” Asis told DPWH VI District Engineers.(PIA)