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| The iconic San Juanico Bridge connecting Leyte and Samar in Eastern Visayas is being renovated according to DPWH-8. Photo: DPWH-8/Facebook |
The iconic San Juanico Bridge, which connects the islands of Leyte and Samar in Eastern Visayas, is being renovated, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office VIII.
According to DPWH 8 Regional Director Allan S. Borromeo, the office is currently conducting a major repair to maintain the integrity of the said bridge considering its age.
"The San Juanico bridge is almost 50 years old, and it’s about time that we undertake repair and strengthening works, given the increasing growth of traffic plying along this bridge," said RD Borromeo.
The official also revealed that the rehabilitation work, which includes tightening high-tension bolts and painting structural steel, will cost Php 84.7 million. The project is expected to be finished by December of this year.
Meanwhile, engineers from the Department of Public Works Bureau of Design (BOD) and Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) conducted engineering inspections and evaluations at the San Juanico Bridge from July 18 to 22.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) for detailed bridge conditions, corrosion inspection, and monitoring of bridge steel members were all part of the evaluation. Concrete NDT is a technique for determining concrete's compressive strength and other properties of an existing structure.
The inspection's purpose is to provide an inventory of the structure, establish baseline structural conditions, and identify or list any existing structural problems that may cause problems in the future.
The DPWH RO8 has yet to receive BOD and BRS inspection results.
The San Juanico Bridge was built in the late 1960s as part of a Japan grant aid project and formally opened in 1973 as part of Daang Maharlika, which paved the way for regional development and served as the country's transportation backbone.