Cabanlas quizzes DPWH on status of construction projects

During a recent meeting of the City Council Committee on Public Works, Councilor Edgar Cabanlas asked the representatives of the engineering offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regarding their ongoing road construction projects that remain to be the cause of flooding and traffic congestion in high-density areas in the city.

Cabanlas, the chair of the said committee, questioned the drainage that traverses along Taguanao-Lumbia road where he observed a mix of gravel and wastes that obstruct the flow of traffic. The light posts erected by Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (CEPALCO) also impedes the water flow of the said drainage, he added.

“Ting ulan na baya,” Cabanlas remarked, emphasizing the urgency of completing the work before the rainy season exacerbates the situation.

According to the DPWH representative, the project completion is targeted in October 2024. In the meantime, the agency considers installing an earth canal to help manage water flow. 

CEPALCO also made a commitment to move the posts by the first week of October as soon as the new streetlights, currently under construction, will be fully functional, he added.

Cabanlas also scrutinized the project along Luna Street (Cagayan Town Center intersection), which he claimed to have been under construction for the last two (2) years.

Responding to this query, the resident engineer of the identified road project bared that they are already in their final pouring for the top slab next week. Then, it will undergo a 28-day curing before the road can be passable.

The delays, however, are caused by heavy rainfall and existing drainage connections that flooded the construction site. She also stated that, although the contractor has already employed workers in two shifts to speed up the process, they had to pump out water in 2-3 hours to empty the box, adding to their work load.

To resolve the issues, Cabanlas called for another meeting with the DPWH regional and district engineering offices, CEPALCO, and contractors.