DPWH completes bikers’ safe road space

TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways announced on Monday that it has completed the construction of an active transport infrastructure that will provide a safe lane for bicyclists and pedestrians.

DPWH 8 regional director Edgar Tabacon said the whole stretch of active transport infrastructure spans 9.512 kilometers of bike lane placed in strategic areas within the city.

The P18.165-million infrastructure project was constructed through a joint partnership between DPWH 8 and the Department of Transportation.

Active transport refers to physical activity undertaken as a means of transport such as walking, cycling, or other forms of light mobility for transportation.

Bikes have been efficient especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when public transportation was limited in observance to social distancing and community lockdowns.

The project also covers provision of bicycle racks located near GSIS Tacloban Branch office in Farima village, and in Leyte Colleges in San Jose both in Tacloban that will be helpful to bicyclists who transact business in the said agency as well as students who ride bicycles in going to school.

Also included in the project were the installation of regulatory signs, warning signs, solar studs, and reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings which were placed in accordance to DPWH-DoTr guidelines on the design of bicycle facilities along national roads.

Tacacon said that through the project, bikers and locals who prefer jogging and walking will have a safer and more convenient conveyance, thus promoting a healthier and environment friendly mode of human transport.

He said that the active transport infrastructure, that now serves as a viable path for road users, was completed on December 2023 and will soon be inaugurated by both DPWH and DoTr this year.