BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan -– Though Boracay Island’s road rehabilitation has not been completed when it reopened last October 26, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar stressed that “they are not delayed.”
“It is a big accomplishment to finish a 4.1-kilometer road with a complete drainage in just six months even on a rainy season,” Villar said in an interview over the weekend.
He said the complete rehabilitation of the 4.1-kilometer main road, particularly from Cagban Port to Elizalde property, is expected by the first week of December.
“It is almost 80 percent done,” he said.
Villar said the rainy season during Boracay’s six-month closure was a big challenge during the rehabilitation.
Aside from the demolition of structures along the 12-meter road setback, the transfer of existing pipes of utility companies was also a challenge during the rehabilitation period, he added.
He said the remaining works involve only the “finishing touches,” including the concreting of road and construction of sidewalks.
He added that the hard part, which is the installation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes for the island’s drainage system, has already been completed.
Each pipe measures six-meters long and have a diameter of 1.2 meters.
Aside from the rehabilitation of the 4.1-km. main road, DPWH has also finished the construction of the new Bulabog road, which is part of the island’s circumferential road.
The Bulabog road, which was opened to public last October 15, serves as alternate route going to Mt. Luho and Barangay Yapak.
Meanwhile, Villar said the next phase of the road rehabilitation will start by the first quarter of 2019.
He said DPWH will allocate at least between PHP400 million and PHP500 million for the next phase, which will include road rehabilitation and improvement of the main road from Elizalde to CityMall; and the completion of the circumferential road. (Karen Bermejo/PNA)
