Another P15M for Aganan flyover third-party probe

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The intervention of a third-party consultant for the stalled construction of the P802-million Aganan flyover in Pavia, Iloilo, is moving forward following the posting of the bidding documents on June 28.

Consulting services for the thorough assessment and detailed engineering design (DED) of the Aganan flyover amount to P15.4 million, based on the bidding documents of the Department of Public Works and Highways Western Visayas (DPWH-6).

The funding for consultancy services is allocated from the General Appropriations Act 2024.

Prospective bidders have until July 9 to submit their eligibility documents.

“We want to verify and be careful that what happened in Ungka may also happen in Aganan. That’s why we requested a third party since the design of the United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) showed different data from our confirmatory test,” the DPWH-6 director told Daily Guardian on Tuesday, July 2.

UTCP is the consultant commissioned by the DPWH’s Bureau of Design for the DED of the Aganan flyover.

It is also the geotechnical consultancy firm commissioned to design the P680-million “sinking” Ungka flyover, currently at 65 percent completion in the first phase of its rectification works.

The need for a third-party consultant arises from the disparate results of soil tests conducted by DPWH-6 and UTCP.

UTCP’s design indicated that the depth of the pillars for the Aganan flyover should be 24 meters, which sharply contrasts with a later confirmatory and seismic test by DPWH-6, suggesting a necessary depth of 54 meters to reach stable soil.

Under the terms of the bidding contract, the consulting firm will perform an evaluation through a thorough investigation of the current structure, including material testing and structural analysis.

If needed, the firm is expected to suggest immediate remedial actions to prevent any imminent danger to the public. It will also identify potential permanent engineering solutions, such as retrofitting and reconstruction, among other measures.

Additionally, the consultancy firm will develop its own DED for the project, including detailed engineering plans and specifications, as well as cost and quantity estimates.

Oropel said there is no specific timeline yet for the development of the Aganan flyover, noting that progress depends on the bidding of the third-party consultant.

However, the DPWH-6 director is hopeful that the bidding for the consultancy will be finished by the second week of July to immediately start the geotechnical investigation.

“Maybe within 45 days, they will release the results of their study, and we can then resume the construction of our Aganan flyover,” he said.

“Rest assured that we are doing our best to provide a solution for the Aganan flyover. We in the DPWH know that this is a long-overdue issue, and we are taking it seriously,” he emphasized.

The Aganan flyover is a four-lane flyover envisioned to address traffic congestion at the junction of Felix Gorriceta Avenue and Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue in Aganan, Pavia.

Construction was temporarily suspended in December 2022 due to the vertical displacements or sinking observed in the piers of the adjacent Ungka flyover. It was around 70 percent complete as of the suspension date.