THE construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road and its bridge component in the middle spanning across the Pantal River will be completed on March 15, six months ahead of its September target.

Ruperto Daoana, a representative of the contracting firm Toyo/Tobishima Construction, confirmed on Thursday that “we are 37 days away from finishing the bridge”.

The road component, which is being undertaken by another contractor, is now about 99% complete.

The whole project costing P1.2 billion, the bridge is financed by a P900 million soft loan of the Philippine government from Japan while the road component is funded through the Priority Development Assistance Fund of then Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

Speaking during the project’s ocular inspection and meeting with the socio-economic and bio-physical sectoral teams, Daoana said the formal turnover of the project will soon be announced.

Meetings of the joint sectoral monitoring team were attended by various project stakeholders, including those from the local barangay councils of Lucao, Pantal, Poblacion Oeste and non-government organizations.

“This critical collaboration process among all the project partners is imperative. We need to do things right by engaging the broad base of civil actors to the project”, said Benedicto Molano of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office.

The meeting focused on preliminary observations and recommendations by the stakeholders, representatives of line agencies, city government and barangay officials covering broad base of issues including spatial design, structural safety, security, pedestrian and vehicular traffic, road right of way, restoration of partially damaged infrastructures, environmental impact assessments and also the conservation of the remnants of the old Franklin Bridge that once spanned the Calmay River.

Councilor Lino Fernandez, barangay chairman of Lucao and Pantal Barangay Chairman Lilian Yasar recommended the establishment of police outposts at both ends of the new highway as an effective deterrent against criminal elements.

The local chieftains likewise pledged regular patrol by civilian volunteers in their respective jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, city hall advised the general public of the partial closure of the Tapuac-Lucao road beginning March 1 and its total closure by March 15 to allow work on the perennially inundated strip of the road to begin.

The rehabilitation of the Tapuac-Lucao road, a part of the flood mitigation project in Dagupan, is expected to be completed before the start of the city’s celebration of the Bangus Festival on April 16.

Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandsez Jr. appealed to local businessmen and residents for cooperation and to bear the inconvenience while the construction of the project is going on.

“When completed, the new road will enhance access to the central business district, stimulate business activities in Lucao, and finally end the inconvenience of motorists and residents  who had to negotiate ankle-deep flood waters for many years now,” Fernandez said.—CIO

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments