MANILA, Philippines — The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge that connects the cities of Makati and Mandaluyong is 78.5 percent complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.
According to DPWH, the bridge — which was repaired and widened using a grant from the People’s Republic of China — is expected to be opened within 2021.
Once opened, the department estimates that the bridge that crossed over Pasig River would serve 50,000 motorists per day, alleviating more traffic from other busy major thoroughfares like EDSA.
“Secretary Mark A. Villar said that the expansion of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge—also known as the Rockwell Bridge—into a two-way, four-lane bridge is expected to greatly improve vehicular movement between the two (2) highly urbanized cities of Metro Manila,” DPWH said on Monday.
“Construction of new Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge is now in its 78.5 percent completion and once fully completed will be able to accommodate around 50,000 vehicles per day, added Secretary Villar,” it added.
The bridge was closed last January 2019 as DPWH said it exceeded its capacity of 20,000 motorists per day.
But administration critics slammed the decision, noting that the bridge was only nine years old at the time of the closing while questioning the allegedly peculiar decision to have China fund the bridge. In response, DPWH reasoned out that it is better to close the bridge than sacrifice public safety.
READ: DPWH pushes through with Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge closure on Jan. 12
READ: DPWH: Better to close bridge now than risk public safety
DPWH added that the new bridge would not only be stronger, as it would allow more vehicles to pass by, with two lanes now on each side.
“According to DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain, the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge Project involves the replacement of an old existing steel truss bridge with a prestressed concrete rigid frame bridge (with V-shape piers) having a 4-lane concrete deck slab of 506.46 lineal meters,” DPWH said.
“The project is one (1) of the two (2) grant bridges from the People’s Republic China with the other bridge known as the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge Project connecting the historic Walled City of Intramuros and the Manila’s commerce and trade district of Binondo, said Undersecretary Sadain,” it added.
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