The Department of Public Works and Highways said Thursday a major component of the P1.126-billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project in Eastern Visayas opened to the public after four years of construction.
“After four years of challenging construction, the partial opening of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road is a huge step to the realization of vision to provide comfortable and improved interconnectivity that will support sustainable agricultural development and contribute to food self-sufficiency program and in sustaining peace and development efforts in Northern Samar,” said DPWH Undersecretary and “Build, Build, Build” program chief implementer Emil Sadain.
The onset of the pandemic and inclement weather condition in Eastern Visayas brought major hurdles in the construction, delaying the full completion of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road which is one of the 119 infrastructure flagship projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program.
About 29 typhoons affected the project since it started in May 2018, but the DPWH together with contractor Ilsung Construction Co. Ltd. of Korea in partnership Pacific Concrete Products stayed focus to deliver the government’s promise in connecting people and places.
The DPWH said it is committed to fully completing the 11.60-kilometer two-lane road, with the construction of remaining three-kilometer segment with two other small bridges.
The coastal road project will link the “Pacific towns” in Northern Samar. The project starts at the Simora Junction and traverses to the remote coastal villages of Laoang, Catubig and Palapag.
“This road will complement and eventually establish the Samar Island circumferential road that is seen to bring much-needed community development in these small towns and overall economic progress in the province,” Sadain said.
