DPWH: We need 2 weeks for pothole repairs

Manila, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) needs at least two weeks of good weather to repair the large potholes along Metro Manila’s major roads, an official said yesterday.

“It will take two weeks to repair because the (potholes) are many. This would be for complete repair. We would start with the arterial roads such as the Roxas Boulevard and EDSA. We would prioritize these roads,” Undersecretary Alfredo Tolentino said.

“We would only be wasting money if we do the road patching now, while it is raining,” he added.

They will also ask DPWH-National Capital Region director Reynaldo Tagudando about the schedule of repairs once the rains stop. Once they have finished the rehabilitation on the major streets, they would start addressing the secondary roads, Tolentino said.

At the moment, the DPWH is trying to ease the burden of motorists by placing temporary patches in deep potholes.

Tolentino said the rain and constant pressure by overloaded vehicles are the primary causes of deterioration of asphalt overlays on roads.

He said that there had been continuous road patching during the summer. He noted that during the recent Asian Development Bank meeting, the DPWH nearly achieved “zero potholes” but with the continuous rains, the problems came out.