THE ₱1.126-billion Samar Pacific Coastal Road project in central Philippines is now partially open, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced on Tuesday.
An initial eight-kilometer stretch of the 11.6-km coastal road in Northern Samar province and its Simora Bridge component, part of the government’s Build Build Build infrastructure program, were inaugurated Monday.
DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said the past four years of construction proved to be “challenging” with about 29 typhoons and pandemic restrictions affecting the project.
“The partial opening of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road is a huge step to…provide comfortable and improved interconnectivity that will support sustainable agricultural development, and contribute to food self-sufficiency program and in sustaining peace and development efforts in Northern Samar,” he said.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin C. Ongchuan noted that without the coastal road, travel to and from several remote towns required “multiple boat rides.”
The project, with funding assistance from the Republic of Korea through the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), forms part of the Samar Island circumferential road, according to Mr. Sadain.
Construction of the remaining three-kilometer, two-lane road with two more bridges are ongoing with the bridges at an average completion rate of about 50%, DPWH said.
The road traverses the coastal municipalities of Palapag, Laoang and Catubig where residents are mainly engaged in coconut and rice farming. — MSJ
