Tullahan Bridge closed again

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) closed Tullahan Bridge last night following its partial reopening last Monday, in yet another twist in the controversial P63-million reconstruction project.

DPWH Assistant Regional Director for National Capital Region (NCR) Angelito Twaño said they decided to again close the bridge to traffic after discovering defects and potholes on approaches being constructed at both ends, which he said was caused by rainwater saturating the base.

Twaño clarified the closure at 10 p.m. of the bridge was not “a surprise move” since their earlier decision to reopen two lanes to light vehicles last Monday was “part of testing the stability of the bases of the approaches.”

“I think it should be understood that the partial reopening was done precisely to determine problems in the base. And we have found weak parts at the far sides of the bases so we have to refill those sag(ging) parts,” he said in an interview.

Twaño said they would have to put bolsters made of cement and sand to solidify bases of the ramps, adding that it would take them up to two days with good weather to ensure stability of the approaches.

Once the approaches have been stabilized, he said they would immediately overlay asphalt on the base and complete the ramps in just four hours.

“We could not sacrifice quality, especially when we’re rushing on this project. But if it rains, we have no choice but to repeat this process all over again – meaning we will have to further extend our construction,” Twaño said.

Project Engineer Ed Santos said the opening of two lanes of the bridge to light vehicles was in fact necessary for the completion of the approaches being constructed at both ends of the newly repaired bridge.

“We needed to open the bridge to light vehicles even as we had yet to conduct asphalt overlay at the approaches because the vehicles would help naturally solidify the base of the ramps that were saturated by rains last week,” Santos told The STAR over the phone.

Local officials criticized the partial reopening of Tullahan Bridge after it caused traffic gridlock in the area as well as damages to some vehicles that were stuck at the waterlogged approaches.

Twaño appealed for more patience from the pedestrians and motorists using the bridge but assured that they will finish the project within this week.

Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian said the DPWH should close the bridge and complete all construction work before allowing the public to use it.

“Opening the bridge (last Monday) only brought in more problems and more complaints. The work will take longer, the public will suffer some more and the quality of work will definitely be adversely affected,” he said, adding that the premature reopening compromised the safety of motorists and pedestrians who used the bridge.

City officials believe the DPWH was pressured into opening the bridge last Monday after flip-flopping on the actual date of completion several times since June.  –Edu Punay, Jerry Botial