The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said May 14 that it has finished widening works, worth P32 million, on the Magbaboy Bridge in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
DPWH Region 6 director Sanny Boy Oropel said the bridge in Barangay Buluangan serves as a vital link between the provinces of Negros Occidental and Oriental, and will provide access to various establishments, essential services, and neighboring communities.
Implemented by the DPWH Negros Occidental Sub District Engineering Office, the project involved the construction of two spans of reinforced concrete deck girder on the left side of the 42-meter bridge, to expand its capacity from two to four lanes.
It also included 170 meters of road approach on both abutments, to ensure seamless connectivity to and from the widened bridge, the DPWH said.
“With more bridge space, a bigger volume of vehicles can be accommodated, easing traffic congestion along the area, and enabling a hastened transport of local goods from farms to trade centers,” Oropel said in a statement.
The DPWH Negros Occidental 3rd District Engineering Office, meanwhile, completed a multipurpose building, worth P5 million, in Barangay Tagukon, Kabankalan City.
The structure has public restrooms and a waiting area, furnished with steel chairs in the ground floor, and multi-function hall at the second floor.
District Engineer Rodney Gustilo said the building will house the officials and residents of Barangay Tagukon, and people from other places, who wish to take temporary shelter and those who need an area for their personal necessities.
“We have provided a wider multi-purpose hall at the second floor for various events, programs, and activities of the officials and the people in the community. We also provided restrooms and waiting shed at the ground floor, that will accommodate not only the locals but also passers-by,” Gustilo said.
The building is equipped with solar panel with inverter, batteries and other devices to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity; as well as a water tank so that water could be stored.
“More significantly, this multi-purpose building is furnished with an accessibility ramp to ensure that the structure is beneficial, not only to the able-bodied, but especially persons with special needs,” Oropel stressed. ||
