CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 14 January) — After finding the construction work of the Bukidnon detour road satisfactory, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the asphalting of the 466-meter road that can now accommodate cargo trucks and buses.

Dizon said the money would be funded from the DPWH’s Quick Reaction Fund (QRF).

He said the asphalting works can be started by Friday (January 16) and should be finished by Sunday if the weather permits.

“The good news is that the vehicular traffic is now normalized,” Dizon told reporters in a press conference beside the detour road in Barangay Palacapao in Quezon town, Bukidnon.

Dizon arrived in Quezon on Wednesday and opened the detour road that was completed 88 days after a portion of the highway collapsed on October 18, killing an elderly couple after the “bao-bao” they were riding got caught in the mud slide.

Novie Cabrido, DPWH-10 information officer, said the ₱20-million asphalting contract was awarded to Suprea Philippines Development Corporation of Cebu.

“The contractor was told to start their work at 10 p.m. and allow passage of vehicles by lane so as not to hinder the traffic,” she said.

The DPWH earlier awarded the contract to build the gravel detour road, which opened to traffic Wednesday, to JT Gamolo Construction of Bagong Taas, Valencia City in Bukidnon at a cost of ₱46.6 million.

Cabrido said Dizon wants the asphalting work finished by Sunday, January 18.

She said concreting of the detour road will be done later, once the DPWH can get the funding.

The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development in Region 10 estimated that the economic losses have reached ₱14.07 billion by December 31 due to the disruption of vehicular traffic. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)