ROAD closure is imminent for residents of Gibraltar village in Baguio City.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engineer Alex Castañeda, Suntrust representative Basilo Almazan, village chief Bonifacio Ducas with Sister Mary Guadalupe Bautista of Good Shepherd Convent faced the City Council Monday afternoon, May 22, to resolve the growing problem of the thinning Gibraltar pavement.
It was agreed that within the week an action plan will be made to address the problem with a possible road closure to give way for the repairs of the damaged areas.
Almazan, Suntrust vice president for legal, presented to the council a timeline of events leading to collapse of the Gibraltar road.
He said site clearing began in July 2015 leading to excavation work in January of 2016, allowing the company to set up wire meshes for slope protection in March with soil tests giving them the green light to proceed.
Almazan added it was in April when the problems arose after the DPWH began rehabilitation of drainage systems within the developing area.
The Suntrust representative detailed how a series of meetings and collapses in Sections A and B of the project were caused by faulty pipes installed by DPWH through its contractor G.A Flores which contributed to the soil conditions and erosion of riprap walls.
Castañeda countered a miscalculation of scale and height by Suntrust is a factor in the collapse saying seepage of water caused by the alleged faulty pipes installed is not enough to bring down the entire foundations of the road.
Almazan said it was in January 2017 when it was discovered that there are cross drains on site, which contain sewage waste contributing to the collapse of the walls made, erosion of soil which led to the continuous thinning of the road.
The councilors were in agreement that an obvious danger to life and property has been posed by the construction work along Gibraltar which now has caused the road to slowly thin and collapse.
Tower Condominium residents, sisters of the Good Shepherd Convent as well as residents in the area have opposed the expansion of the original six-storey building as early as 2015, which they allege caused the collapse of the road and foul odor from a sewage pipe.
Feedback from all parties will be awaited by the local council.
