DPWH embarks on massive bridge repair in Southern Leyte

MAASIN CITY, Nov. 27 (PNA) –- The Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering (DPWH-SLDEO) is bracing for the massive rehabilitation of old bridges in the next two years.

District Engineer Ma. Margarita Junia said 47 bridges will be rehabilitated in 2016 while more structures are now subject to Bridge Management System (BMS) for 2017 repair activities.

“The result of this BMS is the basis for our funding as to what bridge needs repair in 2017,” Junia said.

This year, 37 bridges have been rehabilitated by SLDEO. The total outlay for bridge retrofitting, rehabilitation and strengthening is PHP408 million.

For 2016, the bridge rehabilitation activities require PHP576.97 million, which accounts more than a third of the PHP1.45 billion proposed budget for next year.

Listed for 2016 major repair are bridges of Lilloan, Magaupas, Magkasag, Mayuga, Nahaong, Agogong, Awayon, Biliran, Bonbon, Caaga, Calayugan, Calian, Candatag, Canluwis, Canlupao, Cantamuac, Canumay, Casao, Concepcion, Dinahugan, Higusoan, Hilogtogan, Hipgasan, Iniguihan.

Also up for rehabilitation are bridges of Looc, Mag-ata, Mahalo, Mapait, Maslog 1, Maslog 2, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan 1, Pintuyan 2, Sagbok, San Joaquin, San Jose, San Ricardo, San Roque, San Vicente, Sangaahon, Son-ok, Sta Cruz 1, Sta. Cruz 2, Sudmon, Timba, and Villa Jacinta.

“Some of these bridges have been existing since 1970s. There’s really a need for these bridges to undergo major rehabilitation,” Junia added.

The SLDEO simultaneously conducts bridge inspection for 2016 projects and BMS of old bridges for 2017 activities.

The BMS bridge data are annually collected based on the bridge inventory and condition surveys being conducted by the accredited bridge inspectors from the district office. The accredited regional BMS coordinators from the regional office do the supervision quality checking of the BMS bridge data.

The bridge data collected from the surveys are encoded in the Bridge Inventory Condition stand alone program and uploaded in the repository of all national road and bridge data.

The BMS team in the central office manages the uploading and quality assurance of the BMS data, as well as the conduct of the BMS analysis.

The BMS analyze and generate a list of priority bridges that require major maintenance and replacement which can be funded locally or foreign-assisted bridge programs in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The province has 153 bridges along the national road with a combined length of more than two kilometers.

The province has the most number of bridges in the region. Of the total number of bridges, 139 are concrete, and 14 are steel. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/QUIRICO M. GORPIDO, JR.