DPWH opens Simora bridge, 8-km road in Northern Samar

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) held a partial opening of the 161-meter Simora Bridge and the first 8-km new concrete paved two-lane-way road of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road project.

The Samar Pacific Coastal Road project is one step closer to completion

Present in the ceremony were key officials from the DPWH including Philippine Army Eastern Visayas 8 Infantry Division Major General Edgardo V. De Leon and Philippine National Police (PNP) Northern Samar Provincial Director Police Colonel Alfredo J. Tadefa. DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain shared how the infrastructure can impact the lives of residents in the area.

“After four years of challenging construction, the partial opening of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road is a huge step to the realization of vision 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,” said Sadain.

These projects improve the mobility of locals

The opened roads will provide better access to around 80 percent of the 1,411 households with a population of 5,538. Factors such as the pandemic and 29 typhoons that passed delayed the construction but the DPWH is committed to completing the total 11.6-km new two-lane road, construction of the remaining 3-km concrete road, Jangtud Bridge 1, and Jangtud Bridge 2.

Locals only had boat rides as their sole option to reach one town to another. But now with the partial opening of the roads, land travel has been made possible, connecting the northern and eastern parts of Samar. Upon full completion, the project will link Simora Junction to the remote coastal villages of Laoang, Catubig, and Palapag.

“This road complements and eventually establishes the Samar Island circumferential road that is seen to bring much-needed community development in these small towns and overall economic progress in the province,” added Sadain.

The DPWH continues to improve the country's road networks

Aside from the Simora bridge, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway is another infrastructure project completed in the Visayas. It is an 8.9-km expressway that has been set to become a landmark in the region.

Discover the latest road projects at Philkotse.com.