Leyte road project crawls after 18 years

TACLOBAN CITY — Construction of the Albuera-Burauen Road, a key link expected to cut travel time among Tacloban, Ormoc and Baybay cities, continues to move slowly nearly two decades after work began.

The 36.22-kilometer road project started in 2008 and cuts across Leyte’s central highlands. Once completed, it is expected to improve access to agricultural areas and tourism sites, including hot spring resorts.

The Burauen section has been completed for several years, but work on the Albuera side has advanced at a much slower pace.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said 7.076 kilometers of road on the Albuera side were concreted from 2015 to 2025 at a cost of ₱3.07 billion, funded through district and regional offices.

The DPWH Leyte 4th District Engineering Office, which handles the Albuera section, said 6.26 kilometers remain unfinished or not yet fully passable.

Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, the district office is constructing a 148.77-meter road section in Barangay San Pedro, Albuera, including drainage and stone masonry works worth ₱69.729 million.

For 2027, the office has proposed concreting another 121.23 meters, although implementation will depend on funding availability.

The project is expected to give farmers and agricultural communities faster access to major markets once completed.