The new road opening for the Zamboanga City By-Pass Road, now 62 percent complete, is among the 2014 significant accomplishments of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Mindanao.
Linking east with the west coast through Barangay Patalon to Barangay Culianan, the road project will decongest traffic within the Zamboanga City proper providing the neighboring cities of Dipolog, Pagadian and other municipalities a direct trade route to the Zamboanga Free Port Zone.
The road project received initial funding of P310 Million and subsequently allotted with a total amount of P750 Million for phases 2 and 3.
In a report submitted to DPWH Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, DPWH Region 9 implemented this year 1,860 current and carry-over projects valued at P 16.771 Billion of which 1,412 projects were completed.
According to DPWH Region IX Director Jorge Sebastian, major part of the total budget was allotted for the construction and improvement of roads, highways and bridges amounting to P1.3 Billion of which 607 projects were completed. Sebastian said that 168 flood control and drainage projects worth P115.463 Million were also completed.
Funding amount of P965.712 Million for elementary and secondary school buildings, and P280.629 Million for hospitals and health centers resulted to the completion of 674 and 47 projects, respectively.
Following the massive destruction wrought by the 23-day armed conflict in 2013 at Zamboanga City, DPWH was at the forefront of building back better with 19 on-going projects and accomplishment of 32.47% in the implementation of Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R).
Under the Transition Investment Support Program (ISP) for Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, all 10 projects were completed amounting to P1.216 Billion.
DPWH Region IX manages a total of 1,620.387 kms of national roads with 972.25 kms concrete, 398.282 kms. asphalt, 262.821 kms gravel and 7.007 kms earth. The total road length includes newly converted Zamboanga del Sur Coastal Road with length of 125.883 kms. Also, the total length of gravel road increased by more than 44 kms due to additional road length of Zamboanga West Coast Road to include 19.181 kms Siocon-Sirawai-Sibuco-Limpapa Road with a length of 19.181 kms and 25.493 kms. Imelda-Bayog-Kumalarang-Lapuyan-Margosatubig Road.
The total 300 existing bridges with a length of 12,576.90 lineal meters consist of 231 concrete bridges, 68 steel bridges and 1 temporary bridge.