TACLOBAN CITY – The national government has allotted PHP2.8 billion for the construction of the Tacloban causeway project that will provide a shorter route from the city’s downtown to the airport, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Friday.
DPWH-Eastern Visayas Director Edgar Tabacon said the civil works have an accomplishment rate of 9.66 percent as of this month using the appropriations in 2022 and 2024.
The budget will allow the DPWH to build a 1.43-kilometer portion of the 2.56-kilometer causeway from the city’s Magsaysay Boulevard to the airport complex, crossing the Cancabato Bay.
“The vision is not just to build infrastructure, but to build structures that will draw tourists and investments to the city,” Tabacon said.
The official is upbeat that the remaining PHP1.99 billion budget requirement will be allocated in 2025 and 2026, as committed by the House of Representatives.
The first of its kind in Eastern Visayas, the causeway will serve as an alternate route for motorists from the city’s commercial district going to the airport, reducing distance, travel time, and vehicle operating costs.
This project involves the construction of a four-lane road embankment that spans about 2.56 kilometers with a bridge at the center. It will also feature separate bike lanes, concrete canals, sidewalks, as well as wave deflectors on both sides.
The causeway will cross Cancabato Bay starting at the city hall complex on Magsaysay Boulevard up to the Kataisan point of the Tacloban Airport in the city’s San Jose District.
Travel time will be reduced to only 10 minutes from the current 45 minutes.
The structure will complement the future new airport terminal building designed to accommodate international flights.
Aside from being an alternative highway, the causeway will also shield communities from destructive waves. (PNA)
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