October_1965 — Page 41

CIVIL ENGINEERING & Public WORKS

plete by 1970. Among the expected benefits to be derived are: 1) increase in real estate value along the route since the areas will be developed: 2) migration will be encouraged, easing up heavy concentration of population in particular urban areas; 3) increased investment in the transportation in- dustry which will in turn generate more employment; 4) help promote more cohesive social and cultural unity among people of different re- gions: 5) open new areas of produc- tion and business: and 6) boost the tourism industry. It will also solve the age-old problem of providing a safe and fast delivery of mails, made difficult because of the country's “un- bridged geographical condition.

The project will cost the govern- ment about half a billion pesos over a period of five years. The take-off points of the project will be the Manila North diversion and the Manila South diversion road, the Samar-Leyte portion and the Surigao- Agusan-Davao sections. Self-liquidat- ing portions of the project will be financed from private sources, authorized under Philippine Republic Act No. 2741.

as

Because of the huge financing aspect of the project, aside from active private sector support, proceeds from the Japanese reparations will be tapped. Public borrowings may be resorted to, as government funds will have to be exhausted to achieve the goal.

Four Lanes

In sections where the average daily traffic (ADT) has noticeably increased, four-lane highways will be construct- ed, each lane having a 10 ft. width. This is the standard width of super- highways constructed in the Ameri- can continents and in Europe.

For the Manila North Road, with a registered 8,000 ADT, an eight- lane highway will have to be con- structed to ease traffic congestion in the area. Approximately 420 kilo-

meters of roads linked to the Manila North Road must be reconstructed at a cost of about P120 million, exclud- ing the expenses on the construction of three road interchanges along the entire route.

The cost per square meter of con- creted road ranges between P12 to P15 depending on the location of the

Quezon Boulevard underpasses for Carlo M. Recto and Lerma Avenues, Manila

Proposed Republic Avenue-Commonwealth Avenue interchange, Quezon City

construction. Public Works specifica- tions require that the cement slabs be no less than 8 in. thick on first class mixture. A one-lane road that is one kilometer long costs about P80,000, materials and labour includ- ed. A four-lane road or an eight- lane road would cost as many times as there are lanes desired, at P80.000 per lane per kilometer.

Interchanges

Millions of pesos will be spent on the construction of modern road in- terchanges.

The proposed closer interchange

planned for Quezon City is part of an integrated programme to improve the traffic situation in the greater Manila Area. It is designed to ease the flow of traffic coming to and from Manila, Quezon City and the northern provinces.

The Cubao interchange in Quezon City is designed to complement other interchanges and to absorb traffic coming from Manila, Pasay, Caloocan cities and Marikina valley.

Epifanio de Los Santos interchange. which in effect will serve

as the Manila south diversion road, includes a concrete interchange and a four and six lane concrete pavement. This

Far East Architect & Builder October, 1965

Malinta

Road

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Novaliches interchange

(Bulacan), Manila North diversion road

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