Dads summon DPWH, WTG on flyover project

 The City Council has summoned the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the WTG Construction to its next week’s session to thresh out their conflicting statements on the completion date of the Banilad flyover project.

Also to be discussed is the concern of massive traffic build-up along Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue once classes start on June 9.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama and the city councilors wanted the conflict of statements between DPWH and the project contractor to be resolved as soon as possible to avoid further confusion on the public.

“It can really cause a concern, a concern as to who to believe in. That has to be reconciled,” Rama said.

Councilor Hilario Davide, head of the ad hoc committee tasked to monitor the flyover construction project, earlier reported that the contractor has already started a 24-hour work schedule since May 19 with 50 crewmen working in shifts.

Davide and Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said they personally wouldn’t mind if the flyover is finished by November for as long as the construction would be smooth and would not sacrifice public convenience too much.

A longer completion period is more preferable than rushing the construction with the contractor ending up by fully closing that portion of Mariano Cuenco Avenue just so it can be completed by July. “Public confusion should only be secondary to public inconvenience,” Jakosalem said.

Jakosalem also advised DPWH and WTG Construction to coordinate with each other in issuing a statement about the project to the public.

WTG said earlier the flyover would be finished by July, but a Progress Status Report prepared by DPWH district engineer Nicomedes Leonor Jr. said the flyover will be completed within 300 calendar days starting February 1 this year, which means, the project will finish by November yet. 

“From the status report, it seems clear that had the original “start date” (October 5, 2007) been followed, the construction will have been completed by the end of July 2008. Thus, when the representative of WTG, Engr. Cris Semilla, announced two sessions ago that the project is on schedule, he must have referred to November 2008 and not July 2008,” read the Davide committee report.

This development came after both DWPH and WTG Contractor assured that the construction of the 390-meter flyover will be finished on time, as negotiations with the owners of the “critical lots” that would be affected by road widening is ongoing.

But in the same report, the committee said that several lot owners have lamented that DPWH no longer communicated with them since the time they received the notices that their properties would be utilized to widen Governor Mariano Cuenco Avenue. Some reportedly sought clarification from DPWH but have not been provided with sketch plans of the road widening until now.

What is clear, the committee said, is that the most, if not all of the owners, have agreed to accept “under protest” the price of P15,000 per square meter offered by DPWH to acquire portions of their lots. The property owners reportedly will sign their contracts with DPWH and allow the latter and the contractor to enter their properties only after they shall receive payment from DPWH.

Nevertheless, the committee said that payment from DPWH “will depend largely on how soon these lot owners can submit to the DPWH the documentary requirements.”

Based on a parcellary survey by DPWH, portions of 30 lots belonging to 20 different owners would be utilized for the road widening. — Joeberth M. Ocao/RAE