DPWH: Samar Pacific Coastal Road now open

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the 11.6-kilometer (km) Samar Pacific Coastal Road is now open.

Per the agency, the said road project is expected to improve travel time and stimulate the local economy in Northern Samar.

“With the opening of this road and its bridges, the development of Northern Samar’s rich agricultural lands and bountiful fishing grounds will follow suit,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his speech during the inauguration of the project in Palapag, Northern Samar.

The P1.03-billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project was funded by the Government of the Philippines with assistance from the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

On that note, the President was joined in the inauguration ceremony by South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-Hwa, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr., Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain, DPWH Undersecretaries Carlos Mutuc and Roberto Bernardo, Export-Import Bank of Korea Country Director Jaejeong Moon, and other DPWH and local government officials of Northern Samar.

Implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office — Roads Management Cluster II work on the said road project involved the construction of the 11.6-km road with three bridges, namely: 161-lineal meter (lm) Simora Bridge in Palapag, 31-lm Jangtud 1 Bridge in Barangay EJ Dulay, Laoang, and the 69-lm Jangtud 2 Bridge in Barangay Rombang also in Laoang.

The road traverses the coastal areas from Simora Junction in the town of Laoang going to Barangay Mabaras in the municipality of Palapag.

In his project briefing, Secretary Bonoan said that the completion of the coastal road has reduced the travel time from Palapag to Catarman by five hours, providing relief to thousands of motorists.

In addition, Secretary Bonoan announced that the Detailed Engineering Design loan for the Phase 2 of Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project was recently approved by the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee.

With a total length of 15.01 kilometers, Phase 2 will upgrade the Laoang-Palapag Road Junction to Catarman-Laoang Road Junction and further extend the project by building two more long-span bridges namely: the 800-meter Laoang Bridge II and 605-meter Calomotan Bridge.

“I know you are all excited for today, but mind you that in the coming months, more and more projects will be delivered to you by this administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. under the ‘Build Better More’ Program,” added Secretary Bonoan.

Photos from Department of Public Works and Highways

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