The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has paved more than four (4) kilometers of the 11.6-kilometer Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project despite various typhoons that hit Eastern Visayas in 2019.
DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) and Technical Services Emil K. Sadain reported to DPWH Secretary Villlar that as of end of December 2019, the 1.17-Billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Northern Samar is 30 percent completed.
“As of latest report by UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon, a total of 4.329 lane kilometers of the project was paved. We are also continuously working on piers 1, 2, and 4 of its 161-meter Simora Bridge component,” said Undersecretary Sadain.
“Hopefully we will have better weather this year so we can fast-track the implementation of Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project. This is among the flagship infrastructure projects of the DPWH in Region 8 that will bring regional industries development and would result to economic growth and reduced poverty incidence in the area” added Undersecretary Sadain.
Upon its completion, the coastal municipalities of Northern Samar up to Taft, Eastern Samar will be directly linked to the province’s capital Catarman without the need to pass through the island town of Laoang which is only accessible through small boats.
Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project involves the construction a 2-lane road from Junction Simora to Junction Palapag in the town of Palapag, Northern Samar with three (3) bridge components namely Simora, Jangtud 1 and Jangtud 2 Bridges.
The coastal road project linking the so called “Pacific towns” is funded by a loan agreement with the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund.