Solon urges bridges check

An administration congressman called for the immediate inspection of aging bridges as he warned that the structural integrity of some of these are in doubt.

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., also House assistant majority leader, said in a statement he also supported a move by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Commission on Audit (COA) to blacklist bridge builders that have incurred huge cost overruns in past projects.

Gonzales lauded DPWH for heeding COA’s recommendation for a review of previous bridge projects that were delayed or have overshot costs.

He said the inspection should be done quickly following the collapse of two major bridges in Pampanga and Ifugao.

The 43-year-old Colgante Bridge, that connects the towns of Apalit and Macabebe, caved in as three trucks loaded with sand and gravel were passing through last week. In Ifugao, the 50-year-old Burnay Bridge collapsed last October.