Dead issue revived!

‘DPWH flyover projects still controversial amid non-compliance to LGU guidelines’ 

WITH THE elections nearing, the issue of the proposed and controversial flyover project in Zamboanga has been revived in the news, with politicians running for the May polls, again riding on the topic and taking advantage of the propaganda.

But the overpass project of the Department of Public Works and Highways had been halted since 2019 after DPWH failed to comply with the local government requirements and its funds returned to the national government. 

Despite the overpass issue being dead since three years ago, the upcoming polls are likely to serve as an avenue to propagate political propaganda, but what really happened to the flyover project? 

Late in 2018, the DPWH conducted a traffic dry run in areas affected by the flyover project - to mimic construction works - but it drew angry reactions from motorists and commuters as well, because of the chaotic situation it created even for just a week. 

The DPWH in Zamboanga had been insisting for the construction of the project even without the necessary road widening and one of its female engineers even went to the extent of denouncing City Hall on a local radio station critical of the administration for the required road-widening needed to proceed with the flyover project.  

By July 2019, the DPWH Central Office assured the local government that it will fully comply with all the requirements for its infrastructure projects here. Undersecretary Dimas Soguilon, along with representatives from the DPWH office here, met with local government officials led by then City Administrator Apple Go and private contractors, to discuss and harmonize national and local government-funded projects.

Also in the meeting were City Legal Officer lawyer Jesus Carbon, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Elmeir Apolinario and City Planning and Development Coordinator Rodrigo Sicat, and representatives from the Zamboanga City Water District, among others.

Soguilon reassured the City Government that DPWH will proceed with various projects here as soon as all the legal requirements have been complied with by the DPWH. He also apologized to the local government and sought understanding for any lapses that may have been committed by the DPWH in the compliance of requirements.

Among the DPWH projects discussed in the meeting were the planned flyover inter-changes, underpasses and long span bridges to be built along the city’s major thoroughfares, particularly Governor Camins Avenue, Zamboanga Highway and Veterans Avenue where traffic congestion is heaviest.

During that meeting, Carbon assured Soguilon and private contractors that the City Government has no intention of impeding any of the DPWH plans for Zamboanga, especially the flyover project, provided that the DPWH road widening project is first completed.

Full Support

In fact, he said, Mayor Beng Climaco appreciates the efforts of the DPWH to introduce infrastructure projects that will alleviate the lives of the Zamboangueños. Climaco previously said that the local government is supporting the implementation of national infrastructure here, including the proposed flyover project, but reiterated that there is a dire need to widen the roads affected by the construction of the overpass.

Climaco said the expansion of roads is vital for the smooth implementation of the proposed flyover project so as not to further worsen the flow of traffic. The overpass project costs about P600 million and was supposed to be completed in at least 500 days, but this could be longer considering how slow the DPWH construct its projects.

And in August 2019, local government officials and lawmakers said road widening and opening of new roads are far more important to decongest vehicular traffic in Zamboanga.

Rep. Cesar Jimenez also said the overpass bridge may not be pursued anymore and the mayor agreed with Jimenez for the simple reason that opening new roads and widening the streets, especially in downtown areas and adjacent barangays, are needed to decongest the worsening traffic problems due to the growing numbers of vehicles and motorists here.

“We need to widen the roads first because it is very urgent for us for the passage of people in order to decongest traffic. We leave it (flyover project) to the City Engineer’s Office, Dr. (Elmeir) Apolinario (of the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office) and DPWH to look at finishing the bypass road so this will also ease traffic and provide alternative route,” Climaco said.

Climaco said there is a need for a feasibility study for future overpass bridge. “We are pro-development and nowadays, even our traffic management needs to come up with a plan or study to assess the impact before and after the project is implemented, and so we also need feasibility studies of flyover project in the future,” she said, citing the report of the Technical Working Group that claimed DPWH had no feasibility studies on the overpass project. 

Jimenez said he will work closely with the DPWH and other concerned government agencies with regards to the road projects and other alternative routes here to solve the pestering traffic problems.

The flyover project became so controversial after then Rep. Celso Lobregat - who ran for mayor and defeated by Climaco in the 2019 midterm polls - insisted that the overpass bridge must be constructed immediately despite the failure of DPWH to comply with the requirements set by the local government. 

Study 

According to the 2021 Transportation and Traffic Management Plan Study for Zamboanga City, based on the intersection analysis and traffic projections performed, flyovers would not be required for another 3 to 5 years. However, this should not mean that Zamboanga cannot be forward looking and decide to invest in these flyovers earlier than when they will be required. 

The report said as early as 2015, the DPWH Bureau of Quality and Safety had conducted a traffic study that  recommended the construction of a flyover across Governor Camins – Veterans Avenue Extension (with widening/improvement along Governor Camins, and left-turn closure at Nunez  intersection) as a viable option to alleviate the congestion in that corridor as a “long-term solution.” 

The technical analysis, which included a VISSIM traffic simulation model, seemed to have considered a five-year projection of conditions with 2015 as base year. However, the study further recommended that: “Any impact that can affect these results can be further studied as economic, financial, social and environmental impacts which may affect the implementation of the proposed project.” 

The VISSIM traffic micro-simulation model was used to evaluate the performance of both infrastructures in terms of the parameters at intersections, such as average vehicles delay and queue length, and network performance evaluation parameters also travel time. 

The report also said that the Study Team was not able to find other (DPWH) detailed studies (i.e., feasibility studies) in relation to the technical analysis to support the proposed flyovers in Zamboanga City. “The feasibility studies could help determine the best configuration for the flyover including the number of lanes and the geometric improvements needed at ground level,” it said. (Zamboanga Post)