Reconstruction of bridges and fixing concrete spans that were destroyed during the magnitude 6.7 quake in Surigao del Norte is already underway, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday.
Timber bridges, however, are being built for the meantime to temporarily fix the damaged bridges.
“As of now, we are in the process of fixing. We are building timber bridge in the meantime. Budget has been allocated and, by this year, the reconstruction will start,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said in a television interview.
According to Villar, five bridges – Banahaw, Friendship, Malico, Kinabutan I, and Kinabutan II – have cracks and separations.
Despite the damages, Villar noted that the bridges are still passable only to light vehicles but as of the moment, these cannot accommodate heavy vehicles.
Villar also pointed out that the Anao-aon Bridge in San Francisco town, which collapsed due to the quake, “was already scheduled for rehabilitation even before the earthquake struck.”
“The damage was massive, that is why it’s necessary to build a new one. It has been included in the 2017 buget,” Villar said.
He said the DPWH will just need to augment the budget to officially roll the construction out as soon as possible. (Betheena Kae Unite)
