JET GROUTING FOR AGANAN: IBC to Use P133-M Unused Funds for Stalled Flyover’s Repair

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo-based International Builders Corp. (IBC) will undertake the jet grouting procedure for the long-stalled Aganan Flyover project using P133 million in remaining funds from the original contract.

Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas (DPWH-6) director Sanny Boy Oropel confirmed to Daily Guardian that IBC will proceed with the repair works using the unutilized budget.

The IBC is the original contractor awarded the engineering works for the Aganan Flyover in 2020. It is also the firm that constructed the nearby Ungka Flyover, which was recently opened for full use after facing structural controversies.

“The renaming amount that we have not yet used from the original contract is P133 million. That is what we will use in the meantime for the jet grouting,” Oropel said in a phone interview on Sunday, March 2.

Oropel added that they are considering requesting an additional P275 million to complete flyover. The proposed budget includes funds needed for the continuation of the jet grouting.

Jet grouting, also used in the nearby Ungka flyover, is a process that enhances the load-bearing capacity of the ground beneath the flyover, which is essential for supporting its structure.

Jet grouting entails the injection of cement like material under the structure’s foundations to stabilize the ground and prevent any movement.

“If the needed amount for the jet grouting will be released to us for the remaining of the jet grouting and completion of the Aganan, we will have the bidding,” he added.

The DPWH-6 commenced the jet grouting activity on February 28, cautioning motorists of potential heavy traffic along Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, from Aganan Bridge to Felix Gorriceta Ave. intersection.

Oropel said they have already begun staking out a portion of the intersection, where the column shaft at the center will be the first to undergo jet grouting.

The process is expected to be completed in three months, but Oropel warned of possible delays if the P275 million additional funding is not released on time.

At the Ungka Flyover, DPWH-6 also faced delays in completing the jet grouting. One of the primary reasons was the classification of the soil beneath the flyover, which has a high plasticity index.

Jet grouting is one of the recommendations of Abinales Associates Engineers + Consultants to rectify the original design made by United Technology Consolidated Partnership (UTCP) for the Aganan Flyover.

The soil testing conducted by UTCP, the consultant commissioned by DPWH’s Bureau of Design, indicated that the depth of the pillars for the Aganan flyover should only be 24 meters.

This data contrasts sharply with a later confirmatory and seismic test by the DPWH-6, which suggested a necessary depth of 54 meters to reach stable soil.

The construction of the already 70 percent complete Aganan flyover was halted in December 2022 after it was found that the structural integrity of the flyover was compromised, similar to issues faced by the nearby Ungka Flyover.