By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
A councilor of Pavia, Iloilo has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Western Visayas to allow additional vehicle types to use the Ungka Flyover, which connects Pavia to Iloilo City.
Councilor Leonardo Belasa, chairperson of the Sangguniang Bayan’s Infrastructure Committee, proposed removing the vertical clearance bars that currently limit vehicles taller than 2.3 meters from passing through the flyover.
Belasa referenced a recent incident where a wing van crashed into the clearance barrier and questioned the necessity of the restriction.
Signs placed at the flyover’s entry points prohibit the passage of dump trucks, transit mixers, wing vans, trailer trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, bicycles, e-bikes, e-trikes, and trisikads.
“Traffic flow at the Ungka Flyover is now good. I wish they would remove the barricades because, as far as I know, they tested the flyover’s load stability with dump trucks filled with cargo,” Belasa said in an interview with Daily Guardian on Air.
“I observed the area during the tests to see if it was still sinking. From what I saw, it seems safe, but it is up to [DPWH] to determine when taller vehicles can pass through,” he added.
Belasa praised DPWH Western Visayas regional director Sanny Boy Oropel for his responsiveness and commitment, even though Oropel was unable to attend the town council’s most recent session.
“In fairness, we appreciate Oropel. He is the only DPWH regional director we’ve invited who has actually attended our sessions. While he couldn’t make it this time, he has been the most proactive and has addressed issues left unresolved by his predecessors,” Belasa said.
He suggested that the council may pass a resolution thanking Oropel for his efforts and for opening the flyover on Dec. 23, two days ahead of its Christmas Day target.
“Since the start of the controversies surrounding the Ungka Flyover, we’ve invited all the DPWH regional directors, and none of them attended. They sent representatives or Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto instead. Oropel has worked to fix the messes left by previous directors,” he added.
The Ungka Flyover, which had been plagued by delays and issues related to structural stability, is currently restricted to specific vehicle types as part of its ongoing monitoring and safety assessment.
