Work continues for P638-M underpass
Construction of the P638-million underpass project along N. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City is set to go full blast today, according to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 Project Engineer Roy Dela Cruz.
WT Construction Inc. (WTCI), the project contractor, will also start the construction of the drainage line.
The drainage line is a component of the underpass project and is scheduled to be completed in three to four weeks.
“We can now maximize work on this phase of the project since the water lines have been removed by MCWD (Metropolitan Cebu Water District) already. We can now continue with the drilling of the pile sheets and foundation,” Dela Cruz said.
Work was stalled on the southbound side of the project site (on the side of McDonald’s) due to the presence of water pipes of the MCWD.
The water district had to hire a subcontractor to transfer their lines so these will not be damaged during the underpass construction.
Dela Cruz said MCWD has completed their new drainage line along the southbound side of the road, near the corner of F. Llamas Street.
Dela Cruz said the project is still within schedule.
“Based on our calendar, we expect to finish this phase of the project by February. But we are trying our best to do it faster and finish it by last week of January,” he said.
The underpass will be 700 meters long and will have a two-way, two-lane depressed structure at the intersection of N. Bacalso Avenue and F. Llamas Street.
DPWH and WTCI completed initial works for the northbound side of the road in front of Shopwise.
The next phase of the construction will be on the southbound side of N. Bacalso Avenue in front of Super Metro Mambaling.
The project has six phases with each phase taking three to four months to complete.
Project construction started last August 2017.
Construction work generated complaints from some motorists passing through the area due to traffic congestion since portions of the busy intersection have to be closed to vehicular traffic.
The traffic jams prompted Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak to ask the DPWH and its contractor to implement a 24/7 working schedule for the project to expedite its completion.
But Dela Cruz said they decided not to implement Tumulak’s suggestion because noise from the construction would disturb nearby residents at night.
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