Arroyo to visit operational infrastructure in Iloilo

PIA Press Release 2010/01/11

Arroyo to visit operational infrastructure in Iloilo

Iloilo (11 January) -- President Gloria Arroyo's record of infrastructure development brings her again to Iloilo City, January 12, to conduct an inaugural drive through upgraded and rehabilitated roads in strategic locations in the second and third districts of Iloilo.

The President will be driven through these secondary national roads access and stop over in Bgy. Bancal, Alimodian for project briefing by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Two of the projects she will look into are the rehabilitated Iloilo-Capiz route via Zarraga, Iloilo, and the road upgrading of Mandurriao-San Miguel-Alimodian-Maasin-Cabatuan Road. The Rehabilitated Iloilo-Capiz route is P5-million worth of project from the 2009 Regular Infra program of government, consisting of an overlay of 0.465 Km. road, 6.30 meters wide and 0.050 meters thick, including repair works, resurfacing of shoulders on both sides with pavement markings.

The project is along a national arterial road which is the main trunk line of vehicular traffic coming from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz and northern Iloilo to the city and vice-versa.Commuters said the road improvement has made travel comfortable and has eased traffic along the route, making access to Iloilo City relatively faster.

The project, according to the DPWH started in March 2009 and fully operational as of December 2009.On the other hand, the road upgrading of Mandurriao-San Miguel-Alimodian-Maasin-Cabatuan Road, costing P10 Million is a concrete paving of 0.644 Km. road, 6.70 meters wide and 0.23 meters thick, serving as passage of vehicles going to the municipalities of Pavia, San Miguel, Alimodian and Maasin to Iloilo and vice-versa.

The road also leads to the junction of Bancal, Alimodian-Leon-Antique boundary which, Alimodian Mayor Juanito Alipao, is a strategic area because the towns involved are vast producers of agricultural products that supply the needs of Iloilo city and the province.

The DPWH said that the project was completed in approximately 150 calendar days, since it started in March 2009 and is now fully operational.By and large, the local government officials in these towns said the improved infrastructures in their areas have helped much in improving livelihood and income of many of their constituents.

The other two projects which Arroyo will be looking into are the rehabilitation/ reconstruction/upgrading of the damaged pave national road junction of Bancal-Leon-Antique boundary covering 1.72810 km stretch from Leon to Alimodian, and the completed concrete paving of the 1.236 km stretch in Leon to Antique boundary.

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the Arroyo administration will be defined more for its ambitious infrastructure projects which have "spurred and sustained economic growth."

Remonde said the President has constructed more roads and bridges than all her three immediate predecessors combined, as from 2001 to the present, this administration has laid out 47,773 kilometers of roads and 289,955 meters of bridges.All three previous presidents, Remonde added, have altogether managed to build 34,327 kilometers of roads and 274,742 meters of bridges. (PIA6/ESS)

Cabatuan.com - Timeline 2010