The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated P1.1 billion to complete the widening of at least 31 national bridges in Eastern Visayas this year.
In a statement, Mark Villar, DPWH secretary, said the project was funded through the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and is intended for widening 17 bridges in Leyte province, seven in Southern Leyte, three in Samar province, two in Northern Samar and two in Biliran.
These are all targeted to be finished within the year.
Villar said the improvement of the bridges will complement the nationwide road expansion projects in Eastern Visayas this year.
DPWH Region 8 has received an allocation of P35.59 billion from the 2021 GAA and is tasked to maintain over 900 bridges in Eastern Visayas along with 2,560 kilometers of national road.
“Other than constructing additional lanes, retrofitting activities are also performed on bridges in accordance with the latest Department design standards, guidelines, criteria, and specifications. Through this undertaking, our structures will be more resilient in the event of strong earthquakes,” Villar said.
In a related development, DPWH yesterday did a first drive along the new Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge which will be operational soon.
Villar said the four-lane 506.46-meter pre-stressed concrete rigid frame bridge across the Pasig River connecting the cities of Mandaluyong and Makati is complete and will be opened soon.
The new bridge was designed to withstand high-intensity earthquakes considering seismic hazard from small to moderate earthquakes, with high probability of occurrence during the bridge service life.
The construction team under the implementation supervision of DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 1, headed by project director Benjamin Bautista and project manager Melchor Kabiling, are completing the ancillary works that include protective barriers and railings, and drainage system on both sides of the structure.
The P1.46-billion Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, funded by a grant from China which is part of the EDSA decongestion program, is expected to accommodate about 50,000 vehicles per day and reduce travel time between Makati and Mandaluyong to just 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, the tourism industry in the southern part of Negros Island is seen to thrive after the DPWH recently constructed a bridge that now facilitates a more convenient access to the pristine beaches of Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
The construction of the 75-lineal meter bridge in Barangay Nauhang will allow local and foreign tourists to directly reach the tourism areas of Sugar and Langub Beach resorts by land travel instead of renting and boarding a motorboat.
