The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) refused to point fingers regarding the defective P680-million Ungka Flyover in Iloilo.
DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo said they will focus on looking for funds to fix the defects of the flyover instead of finger-pointing on who is to blame.
“Sinunod naman ang plano. Merong basis ng geotechnical nung una,” he told local reporters.
According to Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultant, the third-party consultancy firm hired by DPWH, at least P250 million will be needed to repair the vertical displacement at piers 4, 5 and 6 of the flyover.
Based on the results of the firm’s geotechnical investigation, the piers or the foundations sank by more than one foot between May 2022 and April 14, 2023.
Engineer Adam Abinales, managing partner of the Pasig City-based firm, explained that the piers did not reach the stable and solid soil layers known as the hardpan.
The results were presented during the Infrastructure Development Committee meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC-6) on Monday, May 15.
The flyover, which straddles Iloilo City and Pavia town in Iloilo province, has been closed to traffic since September 2022.
The construction of the flyover was undertaken by International Builders Corporation (IBC), the project contractor.IMT
