DAVAO CITY—The city government of General Santos settled the road right-of-way problem with squatter families and an undermanned contractor to revive its stalled P1.135-billion circumferential road project.
The project was stopped on its track by the stalled construction of the vital Silway Bridge that connects Barangay Mabuhay and Barangay Apopong.
The city information office said the construction of the bridge and the entire northern section of the road “was hampered several times by road right-of-way problems and the failure of the project contractor to provide adequate manpower”.
The bridge was supposed to be finished by March this year but construction work had to stop as 40 families living between the bridge site and the new road insisted on relocation. City Mayor Ronnel Rivera intervened last week and mediated between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the families to come up with an agreed settlement of the families’ claims.
The DPWH has also already allotted P60 million for project contractor Grace Construction to build the bridge, which was criticized for undermanned construction works. Aside from the Silway Bridge, the Lower Apopong Bridge II is another one being constructed in the northern portion of the circumferential road.
The construction of the Silway Bridge would take another 10 months, although Arturo Valero, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said that despite the delays, “the circumferential road is now at 94 percent in its overall completion.”
The northern circumferential road is a key route to decongest traffic along the streets of General Santos City, the city information office said. It would also provide a better connection between the city and its neighboring areas. The road begins from the diversion road along the General Santos-Davao highway in Barangay Katangawan and extends up to the Sinawal Road along the General Santos-Isulan highway in Barangay Apopong.
The entire project has a total cost of P1.135 billion.