PALO, Leyte — Construction of the P4.445-billion Tacloban-Palo Diversion Road and flood mitigation project is set to resume after work stalled amid the controversy surrounding flood control projects.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Eastern Visayas regional office said construction of the Tacloban-Palo Diversion Road, including its drainage system, will continue, with additional funding eyed beginning in 2027 for the remaining works.

The project is designed to provide an alternative route between Tacloban City and Palo, ease traffic congestion and address flooding in nearby communities.

Once completed, the diversion road is expected to reduce traffic at the BIR junction, where Daang Maharlika, Tacloban-Baybay South Road and Government Center Road converge.

The project also includes flood control and drainage components intended to mitigate flooding in parts of Palo and Tacloban City, particularly Barangay Caibaan, V&G Subdivision, Imelda Subdivision and Barangay Marasbaras.

Swampy areas in the vicinity are also known to harbor snails that serve as hosts of the parasite that causes schistosomiasis.

The 3.232-kilometer road will run from the Tide Embankment Project in Barangay San Jose, Tacloban City, to Barangay Campetic along Daang Maharlika in Palo.

It will feature a four-lane concrete road, with each lane measuring 3.35 meters wide, as well as bike lanes, sidewalks, a service road, solar streetlights and road safety devices.

The entire project has an estimated cost of P4.445 billion, of which P2.332 billion has been released under the 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Acts.

DPWH said the appropriations covered completed road sections and portions still under construction.

As of July 2026, the project had reached 42.30 percent overall accomplishment based on its total project cost, according to DPWH-8.

Of the total 3.232-kilometer road length, 0.756 kilometer has been completed while another 1.256 kilometers is under construction.