66-year-old bridge shut down; traffic mess expected

CALUMPIT, Bulacan—The 66-year-old Calumpit Bridge, a major link between Pampanga and Bulacan apart from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), has been ordered closed after government engineers concluded it suffers structural deterioration.

On Friday, the provincial government closed down the bridge along the MacArthur Highway, surprising motorists and Bulacan officials.

Ruel Angeles, Bulacan district engineer, said engineering teams from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) discovered on Dec. 15 poorly constructed sections supporting the steel bridge’s flooring.

Traffic has been routed through the NLEx, as well as smaller roads near Baliuag town in Bulacan and Candaba town in Pampanga.

Calumpit Bridge is a popular route because it is only a kilometer away from Apalit, the first town motorists reach on their way to Pampanga.

Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado said he asked the DPWH to inspect this bridge, following the collapse this month of the Collante Bridge in Pampanga.

He said the Calumpit Bridge was last restored in 1946 after it was destroyed at the close of World War II. “This is one of the oldest surviving bridges in the country so when Collante Bridge collapsed, I quickly asked that it (Calumpit Bridge) be checked,” he said.

Calumpit Mayor James de Jesus had asked residents to adjust to the new traffic route that was enforced due to the bridge closure.

On Saturday, residents were forced to cross the bridge on foot because vehicles had already been barred from the area. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon