DPWH: Estrella-Pantaleon bridge complete by June

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways is fasttracking work on the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge to complete the P1.46-billion project by June, DPWH Mark Villar said yesterday.

He said that the bridge, which was supposed to have been completed in December 2020, is now 86 percent complete.

“With just a few more days to fully complete the new Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, we are mindful that a single case of COVID-19 in the project can lead to an interruption, if not total work stoppage,” Villar said.

Villar issued revised guidelines in Department Order 30 for the implementation of infrastructure projects, both public and private, during a public health crisis under various levels of quarantine.

Last Monday, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations Emil Sadain and UPMO Roads Management Cluster 1 project manager Benjamin Bautista checked the physical progress of the project and contractor China Road and Bridge Corp.’s compliance with protocols that cover prevention, detection and rapid response to maintain construction work continuity as workers who have been living or confined in the on-site or off-site barracks resume work after the Lenten break.

The new 506-linear meter bridge would connect Estrella street in Makati to Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong and help decongest EDSA of traffic. It can accommodate 50,000 vehicles per day and cut travel time between the two cities to 12 minutes, the DPWH said.