GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/01 July) — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated around P400 million for the upgrading of two vital sections of the national roads in Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat provinces.
Reynaldo Tamayo, DPWH Region 12 director, said the preparations are now underway for the implementation of the road projects, which are located in Alabel town in Sarangani and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat.
He said the bidding of the projects are currently ongoing and is due for completion before their scheduled start by the third quarter of the year.
In Sarangani, Tamayo said they will upgrade from gravel to concrete a 5.174-kilometer section of the Demoloc-Little Baguio-Alabel national road.
The project will cover the road’s Barangay Pag-asa to Sitio Buenavista section, he said.
Tamayo said the agency will also pave some 5.207 kilometers along the Awang- Upi-Kalamansig-Palimbang-Sarangani national road, particularly the Kiponget-Kisek section in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
He said both projects, which are within school zones, include 1.3-meter concrete sidewalks on both sides as well as loading and unloading bays, pedestrian lanes and metal guardrails.
The official said the projects will follow the standard thickness for road ways, which is set at is 280 millimeters (mm), and for the road shoulders at 250 mm.
“We will make sure that these will be followed in compliance with the department’s quality standards,” Tamayo said.
Along with the implementation of the two projects, he said they will set up field offices at the sites.
The field offices will be constructed within the vicinity of schools and barangay halls to allow their further use after the completion of the projects, he said.
Tamayo said they will turn them over later on to the Department Education or the local government unit for use as school building or day care center. (MindaNews)