‘Wonder bridge’ built in Marawi

MARAWI CITY — Mindanao’s "Wonder Bridge," an emergency steel bridge in this lakeshore city of the Maranao heartland, is now open to vehicular traffic.

The single-lane, 51.8-meter span steel bridge was constructed in a record time of four days.

No less than President Arroyo ordered its immediate completion following the delay in the construction of the Agus I Bridge Reinforced Concrete Deck girder.

The newly built bridge uses the British modular bridging systems, the latest in bridging technology of Mabey & Johnson Ltd.

This technology was also adopted in other government bridge construction projects, particularly the Salam Bridge and Tulay ng Pangulo sa Barangay projects.

The Salam Bridge project seeks to construct some 402 "Bridges of Peace" in hinterland barangays throughout this country.

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo and Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Waldo Flores said 30 bridges has so far been inaugurated by President Arroyo, who intends to mark her administration with networks connecting farms and urban centers.

Romulo and Flores are on top of the President’s Bridge Program.

The Agus I Bridge, built in 1949 during the administration of President Elpidio Quirino, collapsed in 1998 following severe rains and heavy flooding.