Sabangan Bridge works begin Feb 15 pending adverse claim

By Gina Dizon  

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Starting works on the dilapidated Sabangan Bridge at Sitio Nacagang, Sabangan is tentatively set Feb. 15 this year pending claims from private contractor Robert Dacyon.  

The rehabilitation  of the P26 million Sabangan bridge calls for a  diversion route with the building of a bridge upstream from the current Sabangan bridge  preceded by a road right of way near  the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources at Nacagang, Sabangan on to the other side of the road to join the Sabangan-Bauko road.

Construction however was stalled when Dacyon asked for P1.6 million to cover cost of prior improvements to include earlier constructed embankments.

Dacyon in a separate interview said engineering works had earlier been done years ago on targeted diversion route to cover opening of road right of way.    

The  planned diversion bridge and the diversion route amounting to P2.4 million is part of the  soon to begin improvement of Sabangan Bridge measuring  a length  46.8 meters  increase from the existing 38.8 meters  and a width of 7.3 meters ,  planning officer  of the Mountain Province District Engineering Office engineer  Esther Taynec said during a  press conference with the Montanosa Press Club here at the  MPDEO conference hall  Jan. 28.

In said press conference, representative engineer Octavio Bernardez of   winning contractor Tribu Construction said the maximum amount they can give Dacyon to cover his expenses is P.6 million.

In a separate interview with MPDEO District Engineer Wilbur Likigan, he expressed  uncertainty where to source the amount asked for by Dacyon.

An earlier advisory from Likigan noted alternative routes are  the Mabaay-Abatan Bauko road  then Tadian-Nakawang  Besao-Sagada- Dantay  road or  through the  Mountain Province-Ifugao road via the Bontoc-Mount Polis section with an additional three to four hour travel from the usual 6 hour travel via Baguio-Bontoc road to reach either  Bontoc, Sagada or Besao.

Taynec said the Tadian-Nakawang route is passable but not advisable for busses and heavy vehicles.

The alternative routes hamper travel of daily commuters from nearby municipalities of Sabangan, Bauko and Tadian to Bontoc, Sagada and Besao and vice versa.

Alternative routes shall also mean longer time for transport of perishable vegetables, commodities and other goods.

Likewise, emergency medical cases are endangered in taking alternative routes with longer hours of travel.

Project Engineer  Jonel Guisala said construction of the 365 day project duration is being eyed to start as planned to prevent construction during the coming rainy season.  

Another proposed alternative bridge measuring 60 meters in length is being eyed downstream from the current Sabangan bridge but would cost a higher amount of P4 million, Taynec added.

A press conference-forum relative to the issue at hand is scheduled morning of February 5 at Sabangan municipal hall.