THE ongoing rehabilitation of the Mananga Bridge has encountered another setback.
An inspection conducted by members of the City of Talisay-Traffic Operations and Development Authority (CT-Toda) revealed that the bridge’s asphalt road was bumpy and uneven.
On Friday, Sept. 13, 2019, Jonathan Tumulak, head of CT-Toda, went to the site since the bridge was supposed to be opened to the public on Saturday, Sept. 14.
When he got there, he discovered that only half of the bridge had been asphalted, or almost 100 meters long. He said the asphalting started last Wednesday, Sept. 11, yet.
Tumulak also discovered that the bumpy surface was caused by the uneven texture of the asphalt. Cracks were also visible.
Tumulak plans to meet with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 7 to apprise them of the new problems that have arisen.
He said if the bumps on the bridge couldn’t be fixed, these could be sources of accidents.
Once the bridge is finally open to the public, Tumulak wants the DPWH 7 to announce that it is safe for passage.
He also wants the agency to reinspect the bridge, saying the surface is not even. That might prove to be dangerous to motorists, especially those who are not familiar with the area, he said.
“We will wait for the DPWH to assure us that the bridge is ready to be open and safe to be used by the public,” Tumulak said.
Based on the DPWH’s project schedule, the northbound lane was supposed to open for use last March, but the contractor’s work dragged on.
Last Aug. 1, Mayor Gerald Antony Gullas Jr. and his staff visited the bridge. He asked the contractor why it could not commit to the deadline, but no reason was given to him.
In July, Gullas met with DPWH officials and the project contractor, discussing with them the complaints he had received about the slow progress of the rehabilitation project.
The DPWH officials and the contractor promised Gullas that they would finish the bridge rehabilitation by Aug. 4. (from FMD of Superbalita Cebu/RSR)