SAN RICARDO, Southern Leyte, Aug. 31 (PNA) -– The Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO) is seeking the conversion of Liloan–San Ricardo Road into a primary highway.
The agency said the reclassification is important, considering that the road is a vital link from Visayas to Mindanao.
District Engineer Margarita C. Junia said the road reclassification would mean more funds for the improvement and repair of the road network, which has been concreted 10 years ago.
“We have sent our proposal to our central office, supported with road traffic data and Benit, San Ricardo port passenger volume to justify the reclassification,” Junia added.
The official observed that more buses and rolling cargoes use the Benit port in San Ricardo town instead of nearby Liloan port considering the former’s proximity to Surigao.
The route is being serviced by Montenegro Shipping Lines, Inc. using a roll-on roll-off vessel, which makes four round trips daily.
Sea travel from San Ricardo to Lipata port in Surigao del Norte takes more than one hour, which is shorter compared to nearly three hours of travel time through Liloan port.
San Ricardo is about 40 kilometers away from Liloan town, traversing a paved road.
Although Benit port is closer to Surigao, many trucks prefer to take the Liloan port considering the difficulty in maneuvering along the saddle road in Pintuyan town.
The road steep incline and blind curves besides deep cliff, make the road section as the most dangerous in Eastern Visayas.
“The reclassification will help us get more funds for the construction of alternative road near the saddle road section,” Junia said.
Under existing rules, a road can be classified as primary if it directly connects major cities of at least around 100,000 people. (PNA)