Contractor given ultimatum to complete Kidapawan’s multi-million road project

KIDAPAWAN CITY – A private construction company doing business in North Cotabato was given until next week to complete its P20-million road widening here.Engineer Elpidio Birog, head of the North Cotabato first engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said Llaban Construction and Supplies has already incurred a negative 12 slippage of its road project along the national highway in Kidapawan City.The project should have been completed in October last year. It wasgiven an ultimatum until January 10.On Tuesday, the city council here has invited to a committee hearing personnel from the DPWH Cotabato to shed light on the status of the project.Kidapawan City councilor and engineer Peter Salac, chair of the Committee on Infrastructure of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, said the uncompleted project has given so much ‘trouble’ and economic setback to many business establishments located in the area.This is aside from the fact that the deep excavations pose so much danger and threats to a number of residents and clients going to the place.On January 1, a motorist died when he plunged onto Saguing River where a bridge connecting Kidapawan City to Makilala town was being constructed.Reports said the victim didn’t notice there was a bridge ahead due to lack of proper signboards and early warning devices.The victim was driving dawn of New Year.Birog blamed electric posts and water pipes for the delay in the completion of the project.These structures, according to the DPWH, should have been removed and transferred few meters away from the road project.Birog, however, said that if the contractor failed to improve its project along the Kidapawan highway they will ban it from getting projects from the DPWH in the future.Also, the project would be taken away from the company.