DPWH allots P74.9 M for Nagtahan Bridge rehab

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday it will allocate P74.9 million for the repair and rehabilitation of the Nagtahan Bridge, which was damaged by a fire last year.

In a statement, DPWH National Capital Region (NCR) director Reynaldo Tagudando said the agency is set to repair the 305-meter bridge in the next few months. It was affected by a fire that razed several shanties under the structure in July 2012.

He said they are sending out invitations to interested contractors to bid for the repair and strengthening work on Nagtahan Bridge. The opening of bids is on March 5.

Interested bidders can secure copies of bid documents through the DPWH’s bids and awards committee secretariat, Tagudando said.

Immediately after the fire, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson instructed the DPWH-NCR to inspect the bridge and its experts found that the structure’s slabs and girders were weakened by the blaze.

The DPWH installed steel structures and timber blocks to shore up the bridge and prohibited vehicles weighing more than 10 tons from passing through the bridge.