DPWH-7 eyes ‘palliative measures’ to address UN Avenue flooding

UN Avenue in Mandaue City, Cebu. | CDN Digital file photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)  is introducing “palliative measures” that will hopefully address flooding problems especially at the junction of Plaridel Street and the United Nations (UN) Avenue in Mandaue City.

The area is also the site of the depressed structure or underpass project that was halted in 2019 due to some “legal issues” involving the national government agency and its Leyte-based contractor BM Marketing.

Engineer Nonato Paylado of DPWH-7 said they will bid out on Dec. 20 a P13 million project that will include the levelling and asphalting of the “dilapidated” roads in the area and the establishment of a temporary drainage system there.

The P13 million “augmentation funds” came from their head office, Paylado said.

Paylado gave a status update on the Plaridel Street – UN Avenue depressed structure during the fourth quarter meeting of the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas that was held in a hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022.

Kenneth Cobonpue, the RDC-7 Co-Chairperson and Chairperson of the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC), asked Paylado for the completion date of the palliative measures that they plan to introduce.

Paylado said that he will provide the RDC-7 secretariat with the needed data soon.

In an interview with reporters, Paylado said rehabilitation works may be complete in at least one month’s time.

Work will commence as soon as the winning bidder is identified.

“We have secured funding for that repair. Repair lang because the project in itself is under court litigation based on info from our legal division. So, it means dili na nato batsa-basta diha ma reconstruct. Pero repair, according to the legal opinion, pwede,” he said.

Phase 1 of the four-lane depressed structure commenced on July 23, 2018.  It included the clearing of obstructions such as trees, center islands and electric posts and the mobilization of equipment in the area.

The total project cost amounted to P1.7 billion while the depressed structure was set for completion in June 2020.  It was to be funded from allocations coming from the 2016 and 2017 General Appropriations Act.

But project implementation was only 28 percent complete when the project was halted, Paylado said.

TEAM personnel transported commuters and even motorcycles that were stalled by flooding at UN Avenue in this September 2022 photo. | TEAM Photo

Flooding

Since the project’s implementation was halted in 2019, Paylado said they have been getting reports on flooding concerns especially at the intersection of Plaridel Street and UN Avenue.

“Work has halted. It was stopped because of some legal issues.  Wala na siya nato gyud ma completo ang tanang aspect sa project tungod kay na stop man siya. So that includes the drainage siguro. Mao na nga wala ka address ang ato pang project because of the absence of the proper drainage nga supposedly part silbi sa project,” he said.

This is explains why flooding is common in the area especially during heavy downpour.

“To address that flooding, ilang himoan og sort of temporary drainage para katong tubig og asa to gikan, especially during heavy downpour, can be disposed ready during heavy rainfall,” he said during the interview.

Paylado expressed confidence that the ongoing litigation involving DPWH and the project contractor will not affect their implementation of palliative measures in the area.

“These type of work can be accommodated because it is really giving inconvenience to the public. As far as that type of work is concerned, wala man na nimo gi contruct to a permanent structure. Kumbaga repair lang gyud to promote comfort, convenience sa traveling public. So, that is the opinion of the [DPWH] legal division and I think based on the action taken by the central office nga nahatagn mig pundo, they support us on that opinion,” he said.

/bmjo

READ: Mandaue officials back U.N. Avenue depressed project