Mayor, traders press DPWH on Bukidnon-Davao detour road
QUEZON, BUKIDNON—Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III of Quezon town in Bukidnon joined calls by the local business community in the province for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track the construction of a detour road following the collapse of a section of the six-lane Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) road in Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao here due to a landslide on Oct. 18.
Lorenzo said the continued closure of the national highway will lead to mounting economic losses as it has disrupted the flow of goods and commuters between northern Mindanao and Davao regions.
“This road is a vital economic link between the two regions. The five-month timeline for the detour is too long—we need to act faster,” Lorenzo told reporters Friday, stressing the adverse impact on agriculture, trucking and manufacturing sectors that rely heavily on the route.
Lorenzo was referring to the timeframe given by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who inspected the site on Oct. 20, who explained the DPWH must first conduct a geotechnical survey and soil testing that will take some two months, before the work on the detour road’s design, procurement and construction could begin.
Dizon estimated the construction period to be done within three months, in all taking at least five months before the normal flow of vehicles using the Buda road returns to normal.
Dizon said they would want to ensure stability of the road and prevent another landslide.
