Tuesday, March 25, 2008 Tanker 'didn't damage bridge'
THE tanker that rammed into one of the columns of the Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge caused very minimal damage and did not affect the soundness of the structure, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 announced yesterday.
DPWH 7 Assistant Director Marlene Alviso, however, said repairs still have to be done on the affected portion of the bridge.
Alviso made the announcement yesterday during a meeting of the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
Alviso based her pronouncement on the results of the March 20 inspection conducted by Masami Kimishima of Katahira Construction, the designer of the eight-year-old bridge.
In a presentation, Alviso said there were superficial cracks, measuring up to 0.30 millimeter, found.
Repairs on these cracks is estimated to cost P100,000 and are scheduled to be undertaken anytime this week.
Exemplary damages
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who presided over the bridge board meeting, wants the operator of mt Damar, a 998.5-gross-ton vessel that hit the bridge’s column last March 10, to pay not only for the repair but also for exemplary damages.
During the meeting, Garcia also asked Rolly Militante, director of Sea-Tech Transport Inc., which owns mt Damar, how come the tanker hit the bridge’s column and why it went on to sail to Cagayan de Oro City after the incident happened at 11 p.m.
Militante replied that ship master Alex Gelacio Ipanag probably was “not in his right mind.”
A crew of the tanker also admitted to the board that the Ipanag lost his way while maneuvering to pass by the bridge.
Ipanag, in his marine protest, said the incident occurred because of string current.
Also during the meeting, Militante apologized to the board for the incident and for causing great inconvenience to Cebuanos.
He also assured that they are willing to shoulder all the expenses for the repair and will even place a P500,000 cash bond.
Militante also requested to the board and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to lift the suspension order so they could sail again.
Marina 7 agreed to lift the suspension order only after an inspection on the bridge would be made. (GMD)
