DPWH 6 to take over completion of Infante flyover
The regional office of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will undertake the completion of the P400 million Infante flyover.
This was confirmed yesterday by Mayor Jerry Treñas after he met with Director Emil Sadain of Project Management Office (PMO) of the DPWH central office last Friday.
Treñas learned that all the contracts for the on going President's Bridge program in the different parts of country were suspended after contractor Mabey & Johnson Ltd. failed to follow the project specifications of the bridges as stipulated in the contract.
It was not immediately known on how many contracts in the Philippines were awarded to Mabey & Johnson Ltd. which is a United Kingdom-based construction firm.
In Iloilo City, among the discrepancies noted in the project construction are the piers 2, 3, 4 and 5. The contractor likewise has remaining works to do such as the embankment, approaches, concreting of abutment and part of the retaining wall in approaches.
The Infante flyover is a six-span modular steel bridge supported by board piles, piers and abutments.
Treñas said the piers have to be upgraded and reinforced. Nevertheless, he was assured by Sadain that it is still safe to use the Infante vehicular flyover as all discrepancies in the original project design will be remedied.
He said he is primarily concern of the structural design and safety of all the end users of the vehicular flyover.
When asked on why the discrepancy was only discovered after the vehicular flyover was already 90 percent complete, Treñas said he has no idea on whether those responsible for the project construction checked on the details of the project the way it should be constructed.
The vehicular flyover here topped the list of high impact projects of the DPWH. The project is being undertaken and supervised by the President's Bridge Program Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways Central Office. The regional office of the department has no control over the project construction.
The delay in the completion of the vehicular flyover eventually caused delay in its operation. The city government is looking forward on the assurance made by DPWH officials that the vehicular flyover will be operational by December, said Treñas.