Samar section of Maharlika Highway cleared for Lenten break
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here said the damaged Samar section of Maharlika Highway is cleared from obstructions this Holy Week, heeding the directive of Secretary Vince Dizon.
DPWH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said they have been following up with contractors to ensure that there’s no one-way traffic within the Maharlika Highway in Samar province.
“The instruction is that sections which will not be completed before Holy Week will be temporarily restored, mitigated, and opened to traffic,” Tabacon said during a press briefing late Tuesday after the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting.
During his visit to Samar on March 9, Dizon directed the agency's field personnel to complete ongoing road reblocking works along the Maharlika Highway ahead of the Holy Week.
Dizon said DPWH engineers have been instructed to ensure that both lanes of the main highway are open in all affected sections, and that road obstructions are cleared in time for the annual exodus of motorists.
“All road sections are passable in both lanes as contractors were instructed to temporarily cover all potholes. All road reblocking activities will resume after the Holy Week,” Tabacon added.
Tabacon said the rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway remains ongoing, particularly in Samar, where some of the most damaged portions require extensive work.
The DPWH plans to undertake a full rehabilitation of the major highway this year, following the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to fast-track improvements along the country’s main highway network.
The rehabilitation of the Maharlika Highway in Eastern Visayas is a priority project of the national government, as the road forms part of the transport corridor linking Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.