DPWH mulls Ungka flyover reopening by Jan 2023

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

An Ilonggo lawmaker on Monday said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will push to finish the now-controversial Ungka Flyover on the third week of January 2023.

Representative Michael Gorriceta (Iloilo-2^nd) joined fellow lawmaker Julienne Baronda (Iloilo City-Lone) and DPWH-Region 6 Director Nerie Bueno in meeting with DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral on Monday.

Gorriceta told Bombo Radyo Iloilo that Bonoan was “gracious enough” to lend his time and talk about the traffic situation at the Ungka Flyover which straddles the boundary of Iloilo City and Pavia.

According to him, Bonoan said DPWH has sent a geo-technical team “to determine [material] under the rocks, [conduct] soil analysis,” and an audit team to monitor the progress of the flyover.

“[Bonoan and Bueno] assumed office on July 1, and [the flyover] was from the former [DPWH central and regional] officials. They also hired third-party experts to study the structural design closely with the DPWH officials,” he narrated.

The January target period was Bonoan’s response to Baronda’s question over the timetable of the flyover.

“[Bonoan] said that he didn’t want to sacrifice the safety of those passing by [the Ungka Flyover]. What I heard [from Bonoan] was that he will seek to have it opened by the third week of January,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the DPWH is not certain yet of making any statement in relation to the flyover despite multiple calls from officials in the city and province of Iloilo.

“After the arrival and inspection of the technical personnel, they will make a report [directly to Bonoan] and that would be the time that [the DPWH] will make an official statement and report in relation to the Ungka Flyover,” he said.

He also clarified that the actions of Bonoan were apart from the engineering interventions already announced by the DPWH-6, including jet grouting and shoring.

“There have been remedial and temporary measures [by the DPWH-6], but what Secretary Bonoan has been going after are permanent solutions, that is why they cannot make it in time this December,” he said.

Gorriceta said that the timeframe would ultimately depend on the reports made directly to Bonoan by their contracted teams.

As to the arches installed at the entrances of the flyover on both city and Pavia sides, he said that Bueno explained to them that it was for a planned test-loading of light vehicles to see if there was further depression or unwarranted shifting after development works.

The meeting with Bonoan comes after Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo made separate public calls to the DPWH central office to step in and update on the situation at Ungka.

The P680-million flyover, funded by the efforts of former Senator Franklin Drilon and built by Iloilo-based International Builders Corporation, was initially opened to the public on June 30.

It was fully opened by September 6, only to be closed again on September 18 after publicized complaints of “sinking” and bumps on the flyover’s roadway, as well as recorded flooding at the top of the structure.