DPWH rushes completion of Cebu subway project
By ANGIE CHUI
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is in the final stages of completing its Cebu South Coastal Road Project as it undertakes the last phase of the Segment 3B-2 Subway Section, a first-of-its-kind project in the country being undertaken by one of the most experienced contractors in the world, the Kajima Corporation.
The project involves the construction of 610-meter, twin-box tunnel by cut-and-cover method, 186-meter reinforced concrete retaining structure and 177.50-meter road works for the north approach.
The four-lane tunnel passes underneath the park of Plaza Independencia which is located beside the famous Fort San Pedro and will exit at the Sergio Osmeña road, formerly known as the McArthur Boulevard.
According to project manager Nilo Pamaylaon, the original design was not for a tunnel but a flyover.
However, as the plan would entail going directly through a historical site, the department rethought its game plan and decided to work around the problem.
"We did not want to destroy the historic plaza in our hope to ease traffic in the area, so we thought, why not construct a tunnel instead,"Pamaylaon pointed.
And who better to undertake the project than Kajima Corporation, who has earned the reputation of being the world’s number 1 in terms of constructing tunnels and subways in the world?
"We have been in the business for 170 years and we have been building tunnels for roughly a hundred," Kajima Project Manager Hikonari Maeda said during an interview.
"Our team has been in Cebu since 1998 from the beginning of the Cebu South Coastal Road Project and we are glad to still be here to work with the government on this project," he added.
Maeda said that building tunnels is nothing new for their firm, which specializes in the mountain tunnels, excavation and subway, much like in big cities in Japan.
"But for tunnels, much like this one, which is close to the seawater, one of the biggest challenges is keeping the water at bay. For this project alone, we had to excavate 30 meters underground use sheet files 25 meters thick to cut the water," he said. The project, he said, is 20 feet below sea level.
Due to the project’s proximity to a historic landmark, the department and the contractor also had to move over 60 trees from the park away by several meters, including two century-old acacia trees which had been transplanted using heavy construction equipment under the guidance of Dr. Armando Palijon, of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna in an alternate location approved by the local government.
"It was a very expensive project but cost is not an issue when it comes to preserving history," Maeda said.
"I have written to Dr. Palijon and he has advised us on how to undergo the process. It is very tedious and we are very glad to report that only four of the younger trees were damaged. Over 60 of them are intact and in good condition, and they are on a steady diet of fertilizers to help them cope with the transplant."
The R1.264-billion project posted a 30.42 percent accomplishment rating as of this month and officials assure that it will be completed on schedule in June of next year.
According to Japanese consultant Isoji Matsui, the project will reduce a normally hour-long drive to 10 minutes once the tunnel is completed by June, 2009.
"It is very safe," he assured. "All aspects are in order and we are not anticipating any major problems in the months to come."
As of present, the Compaña Maritima Area (B-1 to B-6) portion of the project has completed the installation of water-proofing membrane, wiremesh and mortar concreting at sidewalls, backfilling of sidewalls and completed concrete pouring, and removal of second-layer struts at B1, B2, and B3, and the third-layer struts at B4.
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Markiiboi
Re: Subway tunnel near SRP
Mao raman ni subway sa pilipinas pud tawn uy.... naa pa d.i lain?? ahaha the only subway in the Philippines...
Originally Posted by DEVELOPER
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