PUBLIC Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan yesterday said the load capacity of the San Juanico Bridge will be raised by 10 tons by the last quarter of the year from the current three tons to allow more vehicles to pass through the steel bridge connecting the provinces of Leyte and Samar.
Bonoan, in a briefing in Malacanang, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the rehabilitation of the bridge completed as soon as possible, amid concerns that the current restrictions on the bridge may impact economic activities, delay the delivery of essential services and commodities, and disrupt the daily lives of the people that pass through the crucial route.
“This is an issue on economic considerations actually due to the impact of the closure of, or limiting the load on San Juanico Bridge,” he said, adding the main consideration for the rehabilitation is the safety of the motorists who pass through the two-kilometer bridge.
“Our estimate, I think, is that we might be able to increase the load limit up to ten tons actually,” Bonoan said.
The DPWH has imposed a temporary limit of three tons on the bridge starting May 14 in anticipation of the full rehabilitation of the 52-year-old structure.
Alternate routes especially for cargoes have been identified and opened to limit the disruption in travel as well as the delivery of goods.
Bonoan said the government is also preparing for the construction of a second San Juanico bridge.
Plans for the second bridge had been drawn up since 2023 and had been undertaken with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Construction for the second bridge, which would be longer at 2.6 kilometers, had initially been set for this year.
Bonoan, however, said the project is currently undergoing detailed engineering design, which they hope to complete by 2026.
