Contractors of road rehabilitation activities will get a letter instructing them to finish their projects within the time frame allotted under the contract, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official here said on Thursday.

De Yusoph Rasuman, DPWH Cebu City district chief, said the agency does not tolerate delays in the completion of road projects, especially in highly urbanized cities where traffic congestion is a big concern.

He said the “instructional letter” will be sent to contractors whose road concreting, asphalting, or repair projects were pinpointed by the city government as the cause of traffic jams.

He cited a road project near the Cebu Provincial Capitol in Barangay Capitol Site that was delayed after the contractor reportedly experienced problems in mobilizing their equipment and personnel but has been resolved after the father of the winning bidder pledged to finish the works.

Rasuman said the DPWH district office will intensify its deployment of site engineers and inspectors to oversee road projects to ensure their completion within the specified period as agreed in the contract.

“We understand though that there are problems along the way. But this should not be an excuse. We have to understand that the delay in completing (road) projects will mean a traffic (congestion) in the areas where the project is being undertaken,” he told the Philippine News Agency.

His statement came after Cebu City Traffic Management Coordinating Council chair Rico Rey Francis Holganza raised the issue on Wednesday and requested the DPWH-Central Visayas to put pressure on its contractors to finish road projects in the city.

Holganza said these road rehabilitation activities would add up to traffic jams during the Christmas holidays.

The council will check next week the progress of road projects and report those that will still be left unfinished. (PNA)