In Iloilo, delay hits repair work on ‘sinking’ flyover

STILL OUT OF COMMISSION The 453.7-meter Ungka flyover, which straddles Iloilo City and the town of Pavia and costs P680 million to build, opened for only four months, from June to September 2022, after the structure was observed to be “sinking.” This photo was taken on April 25, 2022, before the flyover was opened to motorists. —DPWH-Western Visayas photo

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The completion of the P295-million repair work on the controversial Ungka flyover in Iloilo may have to wait for some time.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced that the full reopening of the flyover, initially scheduled for August, has been reset to November this year.

Sanny Boy Oropel, regional director of the DPWH in Western Visayas, reasoned that the rectification techniques, including drilling and jet grouting every 6 meters up to 52 m of the flyover, followed by curing periods, are complex.

READ: Repair works for ‘sinking’ Iloilo flyover extended

The presence of underground cabling systems of utilities, such as water and telephone lines, also slowed down the process, he added.

According to Oropel, the contractor, Monolithic Construction and Concrete Products Inc., was carefully conducting seismic tests to ensure the stability of the soil beneath the structure.

Huge budget

The first phase of repairs, with a budget of P95 million, is expected to conclude by July 30 while the second phase, which costs P200 million, will still commence in August, said Oropel.

At present, the two inner lanes of the flyover have been opened to traffic but only from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The cost of the Ungka flyover in Iloilo had soared from its original budget of P680 million to P975 million due to ongoing repairs.

Oropel appealed for public understanding regarding the delays, saying that the first phase of repairs was 65-percent complete as of June 30.

Engineering consultant Adam Abinales recommended adding bored piles to stabilize the structure.

This requires the removal and possible replacement of the existing prestressed concrete girders to accommodate the necessary drilling equipment.

The new piles will need to be bored to a depth of at least 40m, compared to the current depths of 26m to 28m.

‘Wavy feel’

The flyover, designed to alleviate traffic congestion at the intersection of Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue and President Corazon Aquino Avenue here, connects Barangay Ungka of Jaro district in Iloilo City to Barangay Ungka 2 of Pavia town in Iloilo province.

The 453.7-m Ungka flyover was opened to the public in June 2022 but was closed in September of the same year after public complaints over the “wavy feel” while driving over it, as well as reports and images of flooding at the top of the flyover during rainy days.

To address the issues, the DPWH spent P13 million last year on a third-party geotechnical investigation, which found the structure to be sinking.

The Ungka flyover was funded through the efforts of former Sen. Franklin Drilon to cut travel time to Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town.

Phase 1 of the rectification work, which involves 2,352 linear meters of jet grouting on multiple piers, began in January on a P95.95-million contract.

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 loads to the foundation.