Leyte bridge reconstruction nears completion

TACLOBAN CITY, July 29 (PNA) -– Half lane in the ongoing reconstruction of the vital Hiagsam Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc national highway is now completed, prodding the Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH 2nd LED) to declare the first phase of the bridge project to be completed by August.

The target date of completion was this July; however, driving its huge pier deep down into soil caused additional days of work including the soil exploration and boring test conducted prior to the actual construction.

Presently, the DPWH 2nd LED reports the bridge to be 83 percent complete, with half of the lane of the main bridge already poured with concrete, while the other half will be completed soon.

DPWH 2nd LED District Engineer Carlos Veloso said this just forms part of the first phase of the project as the new bridge will have a total of four lanes to accommodate increasing traffic.

The Hiagsam Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck girder (RCDG) bridge which is 19.3 meters wide and will span the length of 50.8 meters. The bridge will be expanded on each side in line with the road widening projects being done to highways adjacent to the bridge.

The bridge was damaged during typhoon Senyang in 2014 and formal works on the bridge commenced on November 16, 2015. The bridge reconstruction runs on a PHP37.9 million budget.

Other improvement works will also be done on the bridge such as slope protection, drainage and sidewalks.

Construction is being done by MWJ Construction through the supervision of the DPWH 2nd LED.

An asphalt overlay detour spillway has been constructed as an alternative bridge and has since been utilized to provide access along this route. The detour bridge is accessible to motorcycle, light vehicles and medium truck. The detour bridge runs both ways. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR