‘45 DAYS OF AGONY’: Mayor says DPWH-6 needs more time to repair Ungka Flyover mess

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas on Monday revealed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Region 6 needs at least a month and a half to fix the problems related to the Ungka Flyover that crosses the city’s border with Pavia town.

Treñas said in a radio interview that DPWH-6 Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto explained to him that several piers or foundations of the Ungka Flyover manifested vertical displacement or were sinking.

Fruto earlier told Daily Guardian that Piers 4, 5, and 6 of the P68-million flyover were sinking, although the movements have stopped since the flyover was closed to motorists two weeks ago since DG first ran the story.

Treñas said DPWH-6 apprised him that they need a month and a half for the shoring or buttressing and strengthening of the sinking piers, per the recommendation of DPWH’s Bureau of Designs.

Shoring refers to the installation of steel support columns.

The temporary shoring plan will use I-beams complemented by shoring jacks to stop the displacement or movement before DPWH can proceed to the final engineering solution.

One of the final solutions being eyed by the department is jet grouting or injection of concrete underneath the soil to stabilize the sinking piers.

Fruto earlier told Daily Guardian that the shoring works will take at least three weeks.

“The DPWH-6 told me that they needed at least one month for shoring. As we have seen, they have placed some jacks. They need [a total] of one month and a half to harden the posts so that the flyover would no longer shift,” the mayor explained.

As to the cracks found on the flyover, photos of which were posted online, Treñas said Fruto told him that these were from asphalted joints that were affected by movement due to consistent use.

He was assured that the cracks were “not a structural issue.”

DPWH-6 assured it would not reopen the flyover to public use if safety issues persist.

“[The DPWH-6] assured that they could finish [repairs] within one month and a half, and the public could use it again,” Treñas stated.

The mayor did admit that this was the first time that the city’s flyovers had issues, citing the two flyovers in City Proper which were planned and built during his first tenure as mayor and as representative of the city’s lone district.

He also cited the ongoing issue with the elevators in the footbridge at the Benigno Aquino Sr. Avenue in Mandurriao district.

The mayor pushed for the City Engineer’s Office to be involved in the construction stages of DPWH-6 projects here, including the ongoing flyover projects in Hibao-an in Mandurriao district and Buhang in Jaro district’s northern part, as well as a pumping station.

“In the coming days, when these projects are turned over, we will be maintaining that. I’m not saying that our city engineers are better than the DPWH’s engineers, but we just want to know [issues and concerns] quickly. We are the end users, at times we really need to be proactive about this,” he said.