DPWH to Pimentel: All road repairs necessary

Road repair projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are necessary to sustain the good condition of major roads in Metro Manila, an official said yesterday.

Dpwh-national Capital Region director Reynaldo Tagudando issued a statement after Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III expressed concern that a lot of the repair projects were unnecessary.

Pimentel said his office has received complaints from commuters and motorists about the supposedly indiscriminate road repairs being undertaken by the DPWH in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

“Apart from the fact that there are deteriorated sections of road pavements that we need to repair, we are also doing preventive maintenance on our roads, adopting stone mastic asphalt pavement for a more durable and long-lasting road section, which would spare it from maintenance for a few years and at the same time meet the international roughness index,” Tagudando said. The index determines whether or not a section of road needs repair.

He assured Pimentel that the road projects are necessary, adding that DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson has instructed that they focus on damaged sections of road.

“We are only conducting ‘ sectional patching,’ meaning we only repair portions of the road and not the entire stretch. Sectional patching is often done in areas that have potholes or if there is a need to level the road,” Tagudando said.

He also said though some roads are in good condition, some have pipes that leak water and must be repaired.

Tagudando said they have taken steps to ensure that the agency’s road works would cause minimal disruptions to the flow of traffic, such as only doing repairs during weekends or at night.

He said the DPWH has also issued advisories to inform commuters and motorists on areas where traffic may build up as a result of road repairs, which they started only last month because they wanted to take advantage of summer’s dry conditions.