Probe pushed on ‘anomalous’ Baguio DPWH road projects

BY MIKE GUIMBATAN JR. and DEXTER A. SEE

BAGUIO CITY – Concerned citizens called for an investigation of contractors and concerned government officials for “anomalous” road projects in the city claiming they used substandard construction materials and placed a two-inch-thick asphalt mix on the well-paved concrete roads.

Continuous rains scoured poorly constructed asphalt overlays on five of the city’s main roads in the central business district here after the overlays were done barely a month ago.

City officials, nagged by complaining motorists, requested engineering officials to order the contractors to scrape and replace the damaged asphalt overlays to prevent the scattered aggregates from clogging the drainage canals.

Repair work was not started as of press time. Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas has asked the district office of the Department of Public Works and Highways to clear and repair the damaged roads.

But he also raised question over the quality of the road project. “Naging putik yung asphalt, and it was not able to sustain water effectively,” he said.

District Engineer Neri Bueno told city officials the contractors will repair the roads without cost to the government.

But former councilor and newsman Narciso Padilla said the concern should be focused not only on the repair, but also on the use of substandard construction materials.

Padilla cited complaints of drivers and motorists over the local radio stations, criticizing the officials for placing thin asphalt overlay on well paved concrete roads.

“Asphalt overlays should instead be used as repair materials in the numerous road diggings by Baguio Water District contractors who abandon their unfinished projects to the detriment of motorists,” he said.

The asphalt-overlay projects were implemented last June and July, affecting the busy areas on Chuntug St., Gov. Pack Road, Chanum St., Harrison Road, and Magsaysay Ave.”

The regional office of the DPWH here welcomed the planned independent investigation on the scoured asphalt overlay projects in five major roads which were damaged by the two weeks of continuous rains brought about by the recent typhoons that visited Northern Luzon .

Engineer Mariano Alquisa, regional DPWH director, said they were not hiding anything on the damaged asphalt overlay projects in the city but the scouring was caused by extraordinary situations, particularly continuous heavy rains.

He said the investigation would allow them to ventilate all issues and doubts on implementation of the multi-million projects along major roads in the city.

Earlier, some local officials and concerned citizens decried the alleged substandard implementation of asphalt overlay projects in the major roads which were washed away by the continuous rains and resulted to monstrous traffic jams and inconvenience to the public.

However, engineer Leo Alhambra, chief of the regional DPWH maintenance division, said claims that the multi-million asphalt overlay projects were substandard was unfair, baseless and unfounded.

Alhambra said the mixture of the asphalt was done with the supervision of technical people from the agency in accordance with project plans and specifications.

On the reported use of sand and gravel in the overlay project, the engineer said the asphalt mixture was similar to concrete that requires sand and gravel, thus, the sand and gravel that were evident after the asphalt was washed away by water is a component of the project.

Alhambra added the mixture used in the various asphalt overlay projects was similar to that used in previous asphalt overlay projects in the city for the past several years.

The DPWH official claimed that the scouring of asphalt projects was true not only in the city but also even in the lowlands and the Metro Manila area because water was the weakness of the said construction material.

Alquisa appealed to the public not to judge their implemented projects at once by concluding that damaged projects were substandard even though there are other factors that have caused damages.
Alhambra said the contractors have started work to repair the damaged roads but no visible work could be seen at press time.