San juan: San Juanico Bridge will undergo testing on Wednesday to find out if heavy vehicles can already be allowed to use it within the month, Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla said. Petilla, chair of the Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC), announced that the testing by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is scheduled ahead of the plan to increase the bridge's capacity by Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, DPWH officials reported that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. plans to visit on Friday. "If the President comes, that means the bridge is ready for heavy vehicles," Petilla informed reporters on Tuesday. The goal is to restore the bridge's capacity to 30 tons from the current three to 15 tons, which would be a significant improvement for the region.
In its update on November 18, the DPWH stated that the strengthening and retrofitting of this iconic bridge is already 88 percent complete. The PHP500-million project, funded through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, involves critical strengthening activities aimed at significantly enhancing the bridge's load-bearing capacity.
Current operations include shoring activities and the retrofitting of Girders 1 and 3, both pivotal in ensuring the structural integrity and long-term durability of the country's longest bridge. The DPWH has committed teams to work tirelessly to meet President Marcos's directive to upgrade the bridge's load capacity from the existing 3 tons to between 12 and 15 tons by December 2025.
