BALANGA CITY — The two engineering districts in Bataan on Friday announced that rightof- way (ROW) issues posed no big problem in the on-going widening into six lanes of the four-lane Roman Highway.
District I Engineer Erlindo Flores and District II Engr. Ulyses Llado said they encountered some problems but that they are exerting all efforts to resolve so as not to delay the projects.
“Almost 95 percent okay na ang ROW sa first district. Kaunti na lang ang hindi pa nababayaran,” Flores said.
He said that there is some resistance from some property owners in some portions in the towns of Samal and Hermosa who refused to be paid but said he was hopeful that it will be resolved in due time.
“No ROW problem in the second district, only minor ones but being settled. Kung kailangan kaming mag-abono, ginagawa namin para hindi magka-problema,” Llado said.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang widening although we still have a long way to go,” the district engineer from Nueva Ecija added.
Right-of-way expands to a total of 30 meters or 15 meters from the center of the road each to the left and to the right.
To be widened in the Roman Highway are about 18 kilometers in the first district and 39 kilometers in the second district spanning from the town of Dinalupihan to Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion, Limay and Mariveles.
Trees inside the ROW have to be cut or transferred by earth-balling. Land owners affected have to be paid based on the prevailing market value.
The widening of the highway is in preparation to the proposed Manila Bay Bridge with a span of 24.4 kilometers that will connect the provinces of Bataan and Cavite aimed at lessening the monstrous traffic in Metro Manila.
Llado said that many foreign and local construction consultants have recently visited his office showing interest in the Bataan–Cavite bridge across Manila Bay.
