PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is interested in assuming the large-scale plan to build a “Skyway” here to ease the growing traffic problem.
Richard Ligad, the information officer of the city government, on Monday said that representatives from the DPWH’s Undersecretary for Planning Office recently met with Mayor Lucilo Bayron to discuss the possibility.
“The meeting only showed they (DPWH officials) are interested in the project. They want to adopt the city government’s proposal, meaning they have funds to implement it,” Ligad said.
In 2017, the City Engineering Office (CEO) drafted the Skyway’s conceptual design with an estimated PHP3.7-billion budget.
“Hoping to get funding and finally solve our traffic problem, the mayor introduced the proposed project to them (DPWH officials) last year,” Ligad said.
Crossing the Puerto Princesa Bay, the proposed two-lane Skyway will span four kilometers from City Baywalk in Barangay Mandaragat to Abanico in Barangay San Pedro to Sandiwa in Barangay Tiniguiban.
City Engineer Alberto Jimenez said he went out with the DPWH representatives for a site visit.
“They checked the Skyway’s possible end point with least affected properties to have lesser expenses in right of way acquisition,” Jimenez said.
By adopting the proposal, Jimenez said the DPWH would modify the CEO’s conceptual design. “However, I’m not privy to their timetable as to when will they finish their design and start the bidding and construction,” he said.
“Since it’s a national government project, it would be toll-free,” Jimenez added.
During the site visit, the city engineer stressed the need to keep the integrity of the mangrove-fringed bay.
“In the design, we want them to preserve our ecologically-sensitive mangrove area,” he said. (PNA)
