Revilla wants Tullahan Bridge contractor blacklisted

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. called yesterday for the blacklisting of the contractor for the Tullahan Bridge project in Valenzuela City for failing to finish repairs even after two years.

“I wonder why the contractor has been too slow. It should be blacklisted, banned because it has been a headache,” Revilla said in a radio interview. His office identified the contractor as Ferdstar Builders.

In July last year, Revilla personally inspected the project as residents had been complaining of the delay in its completion.

“They promised to finish it by Nov. 10 but the way we look at it, it would not be possible because they would still have to work on two lanes and would need six more days,” Revilla, chairman of the Senate committee on public works and highways, said.

He said he would again call for a Senate hearing on the matter and tell Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to pay attention to the bridge.

“I thought this week it would be finished. These people are making fools of us. They said their equipment malfunctioned, it should not be a reason because they could rent,” Revilla said.

Revilla said the contractor had been given an ultimatum a number of times and it was time to punish it for its inefficiency.

The DPWH said Tullahan Bridge would be completely repaired this week if it does not rain.

DPWH-National Capital Region (NCR) project engineer Eduardo Santos said they were supposed to complete the rehabilitation of the bridge last month, but their work was hampered by the bad weather and when the contractor’s equipment broke down.

The rehabilitation of the Tullahan Bridge has been the cause of heavy traffic since April last year.