Tacloban City (2 March) -- Among the many major infrastructure projects in the Region, the construction of the P995.037 M Agas-agas Bridge in Sogod, Southern Leyte is 4.89 percent ahead of target, as of January 25, 2009.

The Regional Development Council Project Monitoring Committee report showed that the implementation of the Agas-agas Bridge project is already 73.69 percent completed. This is ahead by 4.89 percent to the target implementation of 68.80 percent.

Barring any possible delays which the recurrent bad weather oftentimes causes, the project which is considered as an engineering ingenuity, is expected to be completed in August of 2009.

The project, also known as viaduct, which is being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways PJHL- Project Monitoring Office, calls for the construction of a 350 linear meter bridge, its structure a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two piers from the ground, and has a height of approximately 1000 feet from the ground; and the rehabilitation and improvement of about 1.15 kilometers of existing road.

Sumitomo Construction Ltd., the Japanese construction firms which is undertaking the project, received the notice for its work effective on November 17, 2006, but it was in the last week of the same month that the actual physical mobilization for the project, like the clearing for access road, began.

The construction of the bridge was seen as a permanent solution to the natural movements of loose soil aggregates, or landslides, in this mountainous area during rainy days reportedly due to a fault line, that hinder traffic when the highway is blocked, sometimes resulting to loss of lives and properties.

The project connects Luzon and Mindanao, via the Maharlika highway through the Liloan Ferry Terminal and another ferry terminal in Benit, San Ricardo, also in Southern Leyte.