BAGUIO CITY – The request of the city government to use the savings from the scrapped elevators of two overpasses in the city for the put up of an overpass along Bonifacio Street, particularly in front of the Saint Louis University (SLU) main gate will still be subjected to evaluation and assessment by the Road Board.
Engr. Alexander C. Castañeda, Baguio City district engineer, said the elevators that were programmed for two overpasses, specifically those fronting the Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) along Gov. Pack Road and the Quezon Elementary School along Upper Session Road, were already removed from the respective programs of the projects which resulted in over P6 million in savings.
He said the Baguio City District Engineering Office (BCDEO) does not object to use the savings for the construction of another overpass, particularly along Bonifacio Street, but the Road Board where the funds for the overpass projects came from has still to conduct technical evaluation and assessment on the proposed site if it falls within their criteria.
“The implementation of the new overpass project will probably take some time because the funds will be again subjected to public bidding and that there will be a change in creditor considering that the funds were already programmed for the two overpasses and were under the name of the winning contractors then,” Castañeda stressed.
It can be recalled that the Road Board funded the construction of three overpasses in the city, specifically along Bokawkan Road in the amount of over P4 million, one along Gov. Pack road fronting BCNHS amounting to over P8 million and one along Upper Session Road fronting Quezon Elementary School with the same funding allocation of P8 million.
The DPWH-BCDEO official said construction of the three overpass projects already started after the elevators in the two structures were removed so that the projects will be completed early next year in time for the influx of visitors.
He cited the major problem in the city is the lack of sufficient space where overpasses could be built in order to help ease the worsening traffic congestions along major roads, especially in the central business district area.
Castañeda said the BCDEO will continue to closely work with the city government to facilitate the completion of priority projects beneficial to the greater majority of the people who had been longing for better condition of infrastructure projects in the city.
He appealed to the public who will be inconvenienced by the full blast construction of the three overpasses to be patient and understanding on the expected tremendous traffic congestions that it will entail in the roads to be affected because long time convenience will follow after the projects shall have been completed.
“WE will closely monitor the implementation of the three overpass projects so that the winning contractors will be compelled to work double time in order to finish the projects even before the prescribed deadline in order to lessen the sufferings of the motoring and commuting public,” Castañeda said.
