MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Feb. 24 (PIA) – A total of 92 infrastructure projects are lined-up for the P923.1 Million funds allocated by the Department of Public works and Highways in the province of Southern Leyte for CY 2015.
DPWH-Southern Leyte Engineering Office Information Officer Designate Rouella May Altar in a press statement said that these projects include the preventive maintenance, reblocking of shattered blocks, rehabilitation/reconstruction of damaged paved national roads, construction of drainage canals, road widening, replacement and rehabilitation/major repair of permanent bridges throughout the province.
She added that the funds allocation also include the construction of tourism access roads and the construction of various infrastructure projects under the Local Infrastructure Program such as school buildings, multi-purpose halls and road concreting.
“The bridges make-over was due to the strong typhoons experienced by the country, “especially Region VIII resulting to the collapse of major bridges along the national roads which caused severe problems in traffic,” Altar noted, adding that DPWH-SLED District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia had seen the urgent need to replace, rehabilitate or implement major repairs, or construct new bridges in various locations throughout the province.
Altar bared that one of the major thrusts aimed by the engineering district is the replacement of two permanent bridges, namely: Tuburan Bridge and Canturing Bridge, both in Maasin City with a project cost of P6M and P9M, respectively.
DPWH also appropriated a total of P397.647-M for the rehabilitation of thirty six (36) permanent bridges, and another P56.17M for the construction of new permanent bridges like the Mayuga Bridge, Sua Bridge and Manhilo Bridge.
Another major project included in the budget allocation are tourism development-related projects, Altar further added, such as the construction/improvement/concreting of access roads leading to Napantao Dive Site and Whale shark Watching in the municipality of San Francisco worth P50M and the Ma. Clara-Cagnituan Road leading to Maasin City Tourism Loop (Monte Cueva, Danao Camp Tree Park, St. Francisco Javier shrine and the Maasin City Zoo Park) with programmed amount of P85.0M which will be implemented by the DPWH-Regional Office VIII.
“The accessibility resulting from the implementation of these projects is expected to spur the tourism activity of the province, hence crediting more income both for the local government and the residents,” Altar reported. (esg/rgc/PIA8-SoLeyte)
