Megadike toll road

UPPERCUT

Albert B. Lacanlale

"The dike…could not stand the pressure from heavy trucks, especially so from those that carry weights beyond the allowable"

After Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda inspected the west lateral portion of the Megadike, the old proposal to make the west bank of the dike a toll road for quarry trucks resurfaced.

Porac Councilor Mike Tapang, who is also the president of the Porac Quarry Truckers Association, had been egging the provincial government to make use of the dike as alternate route for trucks hauling sand from various locations of Pampanga.

For Tapang, letting the trucks pass through the dike on their way out of the province would be a win-win solution for all stakeholders—quarry operators, truckers, private motorists and the local government.

With the heavy trucks passing through the Megadike, roads that are not designed to withstand tons and tons of pressure are spared and the industry that is bringing the big bucks for Pampanga will become more profitable.

Tapang, who is also aspiring to become part of the provincial board through the Pampanga Councilors’ League, explained that instead of the provincial government raising some P100 million for the conversion of the Megadike’s west lateral portion into a toll road, the province could open the project to bidding by consortiums in a build-operate-transfer scheme.

The consortium would undertake the construction of the toll road then impose toll fees for vehicles using it for a certain period amenable to both parties.

While the provincial government saved its P100 million that was supposed to be allocated for the construction, it could still benefit more through taxes imposed on the toll road operator, who will be raking in large amount of money mostly from truckers.

Tapang pointed out that the toll fee would be a better option for truckers, who are now spending from about P350 to P800 only for payment of pass ways imposed by the councils of all barangays they traverse.

There is, however, one problem. The 16-kilometer west lateral portion of the dike, just like the east lateral portion, which is now being used as access road, is not designed to serve as a road but only as flood-mitigation structure, according to Department of Public Works and Highways regional director Alfredo Tolentino.

The dike, Tolentino maintained—as he had been when the proposal came about a couple of months ago—could not stand the pressure from heavy trucks, especially so from those that carry weights beyond the allowable.

The overloaded trucks are the reasons why many roads in Pampanga are dilapidated. To repair all the damaged roads, the province would have to spend huge amount of money possibly bigger than the revenues derived from the quarry industry.

Tapang’s proposal is feasible only if the quarry operators would police their ranks and prohibit overloading because if these overloaded trucks were to be allowed access to the dike, the integrity of the structure may be compromised and, if lahar—God forbids—would return with all its fury, Pampanga will be vulnerable to disaster.

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Outstanding Fernandinos of 2011

The City Government of San Fernando and The Oustanding Fernandino Awards (TOFA) 2011 Committee have launched August 2 the search for the 2011 TOFA.

Chaired by Mrs. Tess Laus, the TOFA Committee will start accepting nominations for the following fields: Religions Service, Environment Care and Preservation, Education, Law, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Social Service, Military and Law Enforcement, Medicine (including Health Services/Allied Medical Profession), Business, Culture and Arts (including Heritage, History), Community Service, Parenthood and Family, Senior Citizens Service, Sports, Media, Youth, Entrepreneurship and Government Service (Not elected).

Nominations will only be accepted until October 29, 2010.