The Department of Public Works and Highways hopes to have all 31,242km of the Philippines' national primary and secondary roads to be completely rehabilitated and paved before President Benigno Aquino III's term ends in 2016.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson made the promise to Senator Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, during the latter's performance review of the government agency.
According to Singson, his office intends to improve and rehabilitate 7,232km of national roads that remain unpaved, by 2016.
Of the 7,232km, 1,878km consists of arterial roads which the DPWH plans to be 100-percent paved by 2014, while the remaining 5,360km includes secondary roads which the agency hopes to complete paving by 2016. As of June, the agency has reportedly paved 535km of the national roads and 1,034km of the secondary roads.
Singson added that the roads being constructed by the government are 11 inches thick or three inches thicker when compared to the old eight-inch standard thickness of roads. In addition, the farm-to-market roads have also been upgraded to eight inches from the previous six-inch standard thickness.
Singson also reported that his office is also currently busy with upgrading national bridges throughout the country, especially with the conversion of temporary wooden bridges to more permanent structures.
"This is a major indicator of our performance," said Singson. "Our program until 2016 includes work on 117,000 lineal meters of bridges. They are in different classifications: rehabilitation, widening, new construction, and replacement of damaged and temporary bridges."
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