Citing school opening, DPWH halts road works

At a time when its road repair projects have come under scrutiny, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday said it was suspending those activities in “critical areas” around Metro Manila for the next two weeks.

But Reynaldo Tagudando, DPWH-National Capital Region director, said the suspension was in response to a request from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help ease traffic flow in time for the resumption of classes in public schools on Monday, June 3.

“We were with the MMDA earlier and they were trying to determine the areas where we should suspend our work,” Tagudando said.

He said the MMDA had initially identified Edsa; San Marcelino Street, Vito Cruz and Rizal Avenue Extension in Manila; and Sucat in Parañaque City as among the areas where road repairs could worsen traffic conditions.

“Even those that we have started, if they cause heavy traffic with the opening of classes, we will suspend them for two weeks,” the DPWH official added.

Ongoing reblocking activities on sections of Edsa, mainly in the cities of Makati, Pasay and Mandaluyong, would also be suspended starting this weekend, he added.

The work stoppage was announced also after a civil society group drew attention to a series of reblocking and asphalt laying projects of the DPWH which allegedly saw the demolition of several roads that were still in good condition in order to be rebuilt by a favored contractor.

The Citizens’ Infrastructure Integrity Watchdog (InfraWatch), through its executive director Ricardo Ramos, said these questionable projects had resulted in roads that were as high as or higher than sidewalks.

In response to InfraWatch’s complaints, DPWH District Engineer Arleen Beltran on Wednesday explained that while some roads may look fine on the surface, they may already be deteriorating underneath on account of their age, and that the repairs were necessary for maintenance to prevent costlier remedies in the future.—Philip C. Tubeza