DPWH to start bridge repair on Feb. 25

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 will remove and replace damaged asphalt pavements on the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge starting Feb. 25.

Engr. Renult Ricardo of DPWH 7 Sixth District Engineering Office said they set the first day of repair on a holiday to avoid causing traffic congestion.

President Benigno Aquino III declared Feb. 25 a school holiday to allow students to participate in the 26th anniversary celebration of the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986.

Ricardo said traffic advisories were posted in various locations yesterday.

He advised those who have flights to go to the airport earlier, as the repair may add to their travel time. Businesses should also adjust their schedules for delivery or shipment of products.

The DPWH 7 has set aside P18 million to replace the asphalt and corroded bars and steel trusses of the first bridge.

It also allocated P27 million to replace the asphalt and repair two expansion joints of the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

The Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board approved the repair works last Feb. 13.
“We have already coordinated with the traffic departments of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu,” Ricardo said in a phone interview yesterday.

He said letters were also sent to the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, the businesses sector and other stakeholders.

Ricardo said repairs on the first bridge will start around 9 a.m. on Feb. 25. One lane going to Mandaue City will be repaired first.

The contractor will repair one lane at a time, so three lanes can still be used by vehicles.

Ricardo said one lane going to Lapu-Lapu City will always be open to avoid causing delays to those who are catching a flight.

Frank Brazil, head of the City Traffic Management System of Lapu-Lapu, said they have asked the contractor to deploy flagmen on the bridge to help direct the traffic flow.

He said he will deploy traffic personnel at the foot of the two bridges, since the repair of the first bridge is expected to increase the volume of vehicles in the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

For his part, Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue head Edwin Ermac said he will meet with DPWH 7 officials this week to discuss their traffic scheme.

He advised motorists, especially those who are going to the airport, to take the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.

Once all lanes of the first bridge are opened to traffic, the contractor will proceed with the asphalting of the second bridge, Ricardo said. But repairs on the corroded bars and steel trusses under the old bridge will continue.

“Our target is to finish the removal and replacement of asphalt on the first bridge in less than a month,” he said.

The DPWH 7 hired PLD Construction for the repairs. The contractor, which will work round-the-clock, is given 90 days for each bridge.

The repair of the two bridges is among the 12 infrastructure projects the DPWH 7 Sixth Engineering District hopes to implement before the election ban takes effect on March 29. The projects include the asphalting of some roads in Mandaue.