The PHP3 billion Ormoc diversion road is 42-percent complete after three years of construction, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Friday.

“This multi-year project will be finished by 2023. Aside from addressing traffic congestion in the existing national highway, the new road will also shorten the 11-km. distance from San Juan village to Naungan village in Ormoc to only 4 km. Locals will significantly benefit from this,” DPWH 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Nerie Bueno said in a statement.

The 4.5-km. diversion road project, which is meant to reduce traffic congestion along the Merida-Isabel-Palompon Road leading to Ormoc City, will serve as an alternative route to the city, considered as an economic hub in the western part of Leyte province.

Bueno pledged to complete the project on time by using available funds. Of the PHP1.55 billion allocation released from 2018 to 2021, at least 81.27 percent have been used as of this week.

Works included in the project are road opening, concreting of a six-lane road, and construction of drainage, slope protection, as well as four bridges.

These are being undertaken by the DPWH-8 and Leyte’s 4th District engineering office.

The Ormoc City Diversion Road is one of the high-impact infrastructures of DPWH-8 under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration.

The DPWH has been pushing for the construction of more bypass roads nationwide to improve traffic flow and create new economic opportunities. (PNA)