DPWH halts another Iloilo flyover project

WORK STOPPAGE The construction of the Aganan flyover at Barangay Aganan in Pavia, Iloilo, has
been put on hold as the Department of Public Works and Highways reviews its design.
—AJ PALCULLO / CONTRIBUTOR

ILOILO CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Western Visayas has stopped the construction of a flyover project in Pavia town, Iloilo, on suspicion that substandard materials have been used to build the structure.

Engineer Sanny Boy Oropel, officer in charge of the DPWH regional office in Western Visayas, said his office decided to suspend construction work on the P802-million flyover in Barangay Aganan, which was already 70-percent completed, due to concerns about its design and structural integrity.

The Aganan flyover is about a kilometer away from another controversial flyover in Barangay Ungka, which has been undergoing rectification after it was found to have structural issues in 2022.

According to Oropel, they have been asking the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) to revisit its design of the Aganan flyover, but the request has not been heeded, raising questions about the project’s integrity.

He said the DPWH also wanted to conduct confirmatory and seismic tests as well to assess the structural soundness and safety of the flyover designed by the UTCP.

A soil test would be conducted considering that the Aganan flyover was built along the same road line as the 453.7-meter Ungka flyover.

Priced at P680 million, the Ungka flyover has faced setbacks and structural concerns after it was opened to the public in June 2022 to cut travel time to the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town.

But three months later, the DPWH closed the flyover after motorists complained about the “wavy feel” while driving over it and amid reports and images of pools of water along the flyover during rainy days.

Safety assurance

Structural engineer Adam Abinales, head of the third-party consultant hired by the DPWH, said the Ungka flyover needed engineering interventions that would take at least 10 months, costing P250 million.

Abinales said piers 4, 5 and 6 of Ungka flyover’s 16 piers sank by more than a foot between May 2022 and April 14, 2023. Pier 5 sank by 22.9 inches, Pier 6 by 19.21 inches, and Pier 4 by 16 inches. The other piers also plunged by 0.66 inch to 5.94 inches.

A pier is a type of structure that extends to the ground below or into the water. It is used to support the flyover and transfer the load to the foundation.

The DPWH, Oropel said, plans to initiate jet grouting on all foundations of the Ungka flyover, excluding piers 4, 5 and 6, which have shown signs of settling.

READ: ‘Sinking’ Iloilo flyover: Who’s to blame?

The decision to use jet grouting is based on the recommendations from the third-party consultant, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring the stability of the infrastructure.

Oropel assured the public that traffic flow in the area would not be disrupted with the suspension of construction work on the Aganan flyover.

He stressed that the scheduled opening of the flyover would proceed as planned, emphasizing the DPWH’s dedication to completing the project with the highest standards of safety and quality.