BONTOC. The by-pass road from Tikitik – Lanao – Chico Bridge – Langangeo, designed as alternate road to avoid the traffic in the central business district of the town, will start this 2019.
Conceptualized in 2017 and publicized last year, the road was touted be to be the tourism road known as Lovers’ Lane or river view similar to the Bay Walk lane of Manila. It is to be known as such taking the Chico river control side as road.
Totaling 1.89 kilometers in length the road, an allocation of P109.4 Million has been earmarked in the 2019 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Mountain Province First District Engineering Office (DPWH- MPFDEO) to cover 1.14 kilometers.
The initial construction will start from the “Ngawit-Gayapon” or the two large boulders at Lanao to the creek near the Chico river bridge.
Information gathered from the MPFDEO mentions of Road-Right-of-Way concerns (RROW) in the river banks that may affect the implementation of the project.
District Engineer Alex Castaneda said that some individuals are claiming payments for their rights over vegetable and root crop plantations along the area.
Designed as having a 6.7 meters road width, the road will have lights.
The project was bidded out but not yet award as the budget is being eagerly awaited as congress still has to pass the 2019 annual General Appropriations Act.
Another Ninety Million (P90 M) is allocated in the 2020 General Annual Appropriations to fund the remaining portion.
Meanwhile, another forty million pesos was allocated for an initial flood control structure at the Eyeb, from the Creek near the Motorpool of MPFDEO to the Tarnate Hardware. This project will be implemented this year.
This river control project will be transformed later as part of the road to nearby Lagangeo. Sketchy reports from MPFDEO states that the intended road is incorporated in the design of the project.
Castaneda has said that this will be his legacy to the people of Bontoc. He is very optimistic that his pet project would takeoff smoothly.
“It’s a good legacy that I will leave before I depart from the service”, he said.**Roger Sacyaten
