Jasa footbridge hailed

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The newly opened P19-million pedestrian footbridge along Jose Abad Santos Avenue (Jasa) has been hailed for being the only one of its kind in the country.

“This is one of the best footbridges that I have ever seen,” Regional Director Antonio V. Molano Jr. of the Department of Public Works and Highways said, hailing the unique design of the new facility.

Business leaders and government officials led the opening of the footbridge last Monday, in time for the City of San Fernando’s 12th City Charter Anniversary.

PAMPANGA. City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez and Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut lead the blessing and inauguration of the P19-million footbridge along Jose Abad Santos Avenue, City of San Fernando on Monday. (Chris Navarro)

Completed during the administration of Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, the project is “structurally durable and well-made because heavy duty materials were used in the construction of this modern infrastructure,” the DPWH official assured.

Construction of the footbridge started on January 4, 2012 and is foreseen to benefit medium and large enterprises located along Jasa, as well as students of schools in the area.

“We became impatient during the long building time of the project, but after seeing how it was being done, we all thought that the project was worth waiting for. And here it is now -- a world-class pedestrian footbridge,” said Levy P. Laus, chairman and CEO of Laus Group of Companies.

Aside from residents and commuters, other direct beneficiaries of the project are the thousands of students and teachers from two large colleges situated in the area.

“We want to make sure that they [students] will get to their schools safely. They will soon contribute on the city’s aspiration of becoming a community of excellent people. And we can only assure that by securing and promoting their safety through this footbridge,” Mayor Rodriguez said.

The next project of DPWH in partnership with the City Government of San Fernando is the road development and widening of Lazatin Boulevard that will commence by end of February.