The public works department on Thursday broke ground for a P997.5-million road project that will connect coastal towns in Northern Samar.
In a statement, Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said the government will soon start the construction of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project to help facilitate growth in the area, and improve transportation means between municipalities in Northern Samar.
“This 11.6-kilometer road project from Junction Simora to Junction Palapag segment of Samar Pacific Coastal Road in the town of Palapag, Northern Samar will complete the circumferential road of Samar Island, benefiting motorists from the so-called Pacific Coastal towns heading to the provincial business center of the capital town of Catarman and vice versa,” he said.
Public Works Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim said the road project will shorten the travel time by linking Catarman and the coastal municipalities of Northern Samar up to Taft, Eastern Samar, without the need to pass Laoang, a municipality that is two rivers away.
The road, funded by the Korean government, also covers the construction of three bridges, namely, the 161-meter Simora Bridge, the 31-meter Jangtud 1 Bridge and the 69-meter Jangtud 2 Bridge.
The project is expected to be completed in March 2020.