CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the new Labi Bridge is now open to traffic and will connect the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora.

DPWH Central Luzon Director Roseller A. Tolentino said the new Labi Bridge is now substantially completed.

The bridge, which was constructed in 2004, is worth P176 million through calamity funding.

Motorists may now travel with ease along the Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road with the construction of this replacement bridge in Barangay Labi, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija.

The 490-meter structure was destroyed in 2004 when four extreme weather disturbances hit the region.

"The old Labi Bridge has never been completely restored due to the perennial river swelling during typhoon season," Tolentino said in a statement.

The DPWH said the new structure replaces the formerly disaster-stricken bridge with structurally sound permanent concrete structure.

The replacement bridge was constructed higher than the old structure, enough to keep all motorists safe from rising flood waters.

"Admittedly, there were delays in project completion due factors such as typhoons and flooding in the area, but our team of field engineers strived for the immediate completion of this project that will benefit the people of Nueva Ecija and Aurora," Tolentino added in a statement posted on the DPWH-3 Facebook page.

Labi has been highly susceptible to landslides, debris flows, and to high-level floods due to its proximity to active creeks and the Digmala River, according to the DPWH.

Tolentino said the Bureau of Equipment is also set to proceed with a dredging project that is expected to restore the waterway to its original depth and condition