Bridge repair called off

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) -7 has called off the scheduled repair of the Marcelo Fernan bridge, originally slated to begin on May 2, after Governor Gwendolyn Garcia refused to close two lanes of the bridge.

Santiago Suico, Jr., district engineer of DPWH-Cebu Sixth Engineering District Office, said the governor has instructed them to put the repair on hold pending submission of a detailed plan on how traffic would be managed once repair works begin.

“It will not push through on May 2,” Suico said in an interview with The FREEMAN.

During the monthly meeting of the Mactan Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) yesterday, Garcia scolded the DPWH-7 representatives for the agency’s failure to inform the board about the impending repair.

“You never took the courtesy to inform the board leaving me flat-footed,” Garcia said, further criticizing the agency for leaking the news to the media before it could reach the board.

Garcia’s temper rose when DPWH-7’s Engineer Eda De Guzman presented a plan to close two lanes at the bridge during the repair. Garcia only wanted one lane to be closed so as not to inconvenience motorists.

Nigel Paul Villarete, general manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, also asked DPWH for an estimated traffic flow, a question that DPWH representatives failed to answer.

Suico apologized to Garcia, admitting that DPWH forgot to inform the board first.

Also yesterday, MCBMB created a new Technical Working Group that will plan the repairs of the bridge. The new TWG will be composed of Dr. Pericles Dakay, the board’ vice-chair; Villarete, Suico, and PLD Contractor.

Garcia said the new TWG will have to come up with a new methodology that is “better and less painful” for the riding public.

Suico said DPWH will continue with minor preparatory works to prepare the bridge for full repair, which will begin on May 24, 2012. However, with the result of the board’s meeting yesterday, the date of the full repair works may still change.

Suico said they are also still waiting for repair materials from Korea, which are scheduled to arrive on May 19. Once the shipment arrives, DPWH would have to settle the taxes and duties with the Bureau of Customs.

Mandaue Fiesta

The Mandaue City government has also asked the bridge board to postpone the date of the repair because the city will be celebrating its annual feast on May 8.

The city government is expecting a bulk of visitors as it has prepared two-week long fiesta activities, which kicked-off last Saturday with a motorcade around the city.

Edwin Ermac, head of Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue and the city’s representative in the bridge management board, said they received an advisory from DPWH that the bridge would be closed supposedly beginning today to give way for repair works.

Ermac assured that Mandaue City is prepared for the repair. He said the city will be assigning two traffic enforcers at the intersection of U.N. Avenue and Plaridel St., the bottleneck of the traffic.

Mandaue City will also augment personnel at the foot of the old bridge in anticipation of increased volume of vehicle traffic.

Part Closure

Suico said the four-lane bridge, dubbed one of the widest and longest bridge spans in the Philippines, will not be closed entirely to traffic during the preparatory works and full blast repairs. Some vehicles, however, would have to be retourted if necessary once repair works start.

“Pero dili gyud masirad-an ang tibuok bridge. We are looking for ways to minimize the traffic,” Suico said.

The district engineer added that DPWH has allocated P25 million for the 150-day repair works.

DPWH is slated to repair the bridge expansion joints that have loosened due to wear and tear. The bridge was opened to the public on August 3, 1999 and was inaugurated by former President Joseph Estrada on the same day. 

This P2.3 billion megastructure, considered as one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world, was constructed by the Kajima-Sumimoto Joint Venture and was funded through a loan obtained by the Philippine Government from the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund of Japan.

The bridge was built to decongest the traffic problem of vehicles traveling from Mandaue City to Lapu-Lapu City and as a symbol of friendship between Japan and the Philippines. — With Flor Z. Perolina/JMO (FREEMAN)