The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has improved the road connection between the cities of Dipolog and Pagadian.
DPWH Secretary Roger G. Mercado said the new direct link between the cities of Dipolog and Pagadian by-passing Ipil in Zamboanga Peninsula will help not just motorists cut travel time but a big boost in the economic progress in the south.
Mercado received the latest report following a visit by Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain on the Tampilisan-Sandayong Road.
He said the improvement done was on the combined barangay and municipal roads to standard specifications of a secondary national road in Zamboanga del Norte, which is expected to enhance agricultural, trade and commercial activities.
“Now at the tail end of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s presidency, the improvement of Tampilisan-Sandayong Road is one the legacy project of this administration’s ‘Build Build Build’ initiative that will alleviate poverty by supporting the movement of people, goods, and services to and from the communities,” said Sadain.
The said flagship infrastructure project is one of the roads under the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project (IGCMRSP) financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan.
Its implementation is under the DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) of Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim.
Sadain, Chief Implementer of ‘Build Build Build’ program, conducted a site inspection last Friday, Feb. 18 to assess the actual progress of the work on the entire 17.58 kilometers project.
The road project stretches from the junction of the Dipolog-Ipil National Highway and the Sto. Nino barangay road to its end in Barangay Sandayong’s road crossing with road towards Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay.
During the inspection, the contractor and consulting firm involved with the project also referred as package PR-07 were ordered to expedite pending works and rectify defects that crept during construction.
Other than the road improvement by upgrading and concreting with paved shoulders, the project covers the replacement/construction of three bridges, including slope protection works, and provision of reinforced concrete box culvert and pipe culvert.