Contractors fix defects on asphalt overlay projects

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Implementors of several asphalt overlay projects in this mountain resort city have already corrected and rectified surface defects in national roads in the city pursuant to orders from authorities of the Department of Public Works and Highways – Baguio City District Engineering Office.

Engineer Ireneo Gallato, city district engineer, said the correction of defects of some of the asphalt overlay projects was done at the expense of the contractors since the defects were discovered within the one year warranty period.

Contrary to earlier allegations of substandard implementation of the asphalt overlay projects, Gallato claimed the surface defects, which are considered minor, occurred only in some of the projects in various national roads around the city, thus, appropriate remedial measures had already been done in order to make the road surface better for the sake of the interest of the motoring public.

In terms of the thickness of the asphalt overlay, maintenance personnel of the agency uncovered that most of the asphalt overlay projects have exceeded the prescribed and programmed measurement to ensure that the project will last longer.

Under the agency’s guidelines, the prescribed thickness of the asphalt overlay is at least 2 inches or equivalent to 50 centimeters but the DPWH-BCDEO programmed 2.5 inches or 62.5 centimeters as the thickness of the asphalt to be placed on tap of the concrete road in order to seal the cracks and prevent water from seeping into the concrete and scouring the same thereby causing serious damage on the road.

However, Gallato reported the thickness of the asphalt overlay placed on numerous national roads in the city range from 63.5 to over 80 centimeters which is way above the prescribed or programmed thickness thereby ruling out alleged substandard project implementation.

Because of the concern brought out by concerned residents and motorists relative to the status of numerous asphalt overlay projects in the different parts of the city, the district engineer ordered maintenance and quality assurance unit personnel to be on their feet to monitor the uncompleted asphalt overlay projects to prevent a repeat of the situation that they will be gain criticized for doing controversial works that are not of good quality.

Gallato expressed the agency’s gratitude to concerned residents and motorists who called their attention relative to the minor defects in the asphalt overlay works so that the defects could be rectified by the contractors.

For those who will not be able to comply with the series of notices for them to correct surface defects on their respective works, the DPWH official said the agency will be forced to confiscate the 10 percent retention posted by the project implementers to guarantee that all works will be done in accordance to the prescribed quality.

Baguio City is one of the recipients of multi-million funds for the implementation of asphalt overlay projects as part of the maintenance funds of the agency to prolong the lifespan of the existing concrete national roads in the different parts of the city.