Several road and multi-purpose building (MPB) projects in four towns of Negros Occidental have been completed, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the province said.
Among the already widened roads included that of the stretch along barangays Man-uling, Tuyom, and Masaling in Cauayan.
Undertaken by the DPWH Negros Occidental 3rd District Engineering Office (DEO), the road widening from barangays Man-uling to Isio involved the widening of the existing two-kilometer long, two-lane concrete road by adding an additional one concrete lane on both sides.
District Engr. Rodney Gustilo, who was recently designated as OIC-assistant regional director of the DPWH Negros Island Region, said the P74.77-million project, funded under the FY 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), included grouted riprap, stone masonry, Chevron signs, and reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings.
Gustilo said P93.39 million was also allotted for the widening of the 1.167-kilometer two-lane road in Barangay Tuyom, and the 1.658-kilometer road in Barangay Masaling, also in Cauayan.
The infra project also involved provision of grouted riprap and stone masonry for slope protection, pipe culverts, and safety measures, such as rubble concrete and hazard markers.
“These road widening efforts is our department’s way of ensuring that motorists and commuters have better, safer, and more convenient transportation access, easing hassles that may be caused by traffic congestion,” Gustilo said in a press release.
DPWH6 regional director Sanny Boy Oropel said that widening the existing two-lane road into a four-lane highway offers significant benefits to motorists and communities.
“Widened road leads to improved traffic flow, enhanced safety features, economic benefits through better accessibility and efficiency in transportation, and infrastructure development by providing better access,” Oropel explained.
The DPWH Negros Occidental 2nd DEO, meanwhile, finished the construction of a one-storey, 144-square meter building that will serve as a health center, worth P4.8-million, in Barangay Gargato, Hinigaran.
Barangay Bagroy in Binalbagan will also benefit from the P4.8-million, one-storey new barangay hall.
The P4.8-million MPB project in Barangay Magallon Cadre, Moises Padilla, also involved the construction of a 144-square-meter, one-storey new barangay hall that could be used for local governance and community meetings, the DPWH added. ||
