SINIMULAN na kahapon ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ang P970 million road rehabilitation project para sa Marawi City na nasira sa bakbakan sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at ng militar, dalawang taon na ang nakalilipas.
Pinangunahan nina Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Yoshio Wada, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Concern and Muslim Affairs Secretary Abdullah Mama-o at Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong, Jr. ang groundbreaking ceremony para sa proyekto na popondohan ng Japanese grant.
Dumalo rin sa seremonya sina Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairperson Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations and Technical Services Emil K. Sadain, DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster I Director Virgilio Castillo, Project Manager Francisco Sawali, DPWH Region 10 Director Zenaida Tan, Asst. Director Rey Peter Gille, at ang mga lokal na opisyal ng Marawi.
Ayon kay Villar, ang proyekto ay kinabibilangan ng civil works ng Marawi Transcentral Road Contract Packages 1-B at 2 na may total length na 9.56 kilometers at detailed engineering designs ng 13 iba pang road sections sa ilalim ng Contract Package 3 na may total length na 20.80 kilometers.
Ang Contract Package 1-B ay iginawad sa Al Hussien Construction. Saklaw nito ang konstruksiyon ng Bacong-Poona-Marantao-Marawi Road (kabilang ang drainage), GMA Terminal Access, Marawi-Cadre-New Capitol, Marcos Boulevard, at Idarus Road Section.
Nakuha naman ni Odim Kouzbary ng Kouzbary Builders ang Contract Package 2, na sumasaklaw sa MSU – GMA Road at Lumidong – Amai Pakpak Avenue.
Ayon pa kay Villar, ang civil works para sa Jica-funded Contract Package 1-A, na sumasakop sa 9.41-kilometer Bacong-Iligan-Marawi Road, ay sisimulan anumang oras sa sandaling matapos ang bidding process.
Nagkaloob ang Jica ng ¥2-billion grant para sa rehabilitation at reconstruction ng Marawi City at ng surrounding areas nito, partikular ang 18.97-kilometers road network nito.
“These grant projects of Japan are first of the other significant projects that DPWH will be implementing in Marawi City and its surrounding areas within the next four years to ensure better mobility that will boost further growth to the economic conditions of Marawi City,” sabi ni Villar.
Ang Contract Package 1B at Contract Package 2 ay inaasahang matatapos sa Abril 2020 at Pebrero 2020, ayon sa pagkakasunod.
Ang konstruksiyon ng mga kalsada sa ilalim ng Contract Package 3 ay uumpisahan sa ilalim ng Jica-assisted Road Network Development Project sa Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao (RNDP – CAAM) matapos lagdaan ang loan agreement nito sa Pebrero 10. FROILAN MORALLOS