Fernan Bridge repair to start on June 4

EXPECT an hour’s delay in crossing the Marcelo Fernan Bridge once repair work starts on Monday, June 4.

One lane of the four-lane bridge will be closed at a time for repair work that will run for 88 days until the first week of September.

The one-hour estimated traffic delay was given by officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) during yesterday’s coordination meeting of the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board headed by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Under the scheme, two lanes will be opened to traffic going to Lapu-Lapu City and one lane going to Mandaue.

Governor Garcia said the schedule given by the DPWH to replace “ruibber expansion joints with steel finger expansion joints” was “non-extendanble”.

“So it is final, you will be given 88 days to repair the bridge and that cannot be extended. Let us aim to minimize that period especially to PLB Construction,” Garcia said.

Engineer Eda de Guzman of DPWH said the repair would last 88 days and end on the first week of September.

reported the 88-day work schedule

Under phase 1 of a five-phase work plan, De Guzman said the bridge’s outer lane towards Mandaue City will be closed for two weeks.

This will be followed by the closure of the inner lane of the same side.

PLB Construction manager Paul Lee said some of the materials for the repair have already arrived from South Korea.

The governor asked for towing trucks from the Cebu and Mandaue city governments to be standing by so that vehicles that suffer engine trouble on the bridge can be towed immediately.

Police said they would field personnel on the bridge 24/7 once the repair work kicks off.

The Philippine Information Agency 7 was tasked to keep the public informed about the bridge repair which would cost P13.6 million from the DPWH’s regular infrastrcuture fund of 2011.

De Guzman earlier met with the Technical Working Group composed of the repair contractor PLD Construction, acting district engineer Ronald Suico of the DPWH’s Cebu’s 6th district and Paul Villarete, general manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), to craft a revised work plan that would split the repairs into five phases.

The repair was earlier set for May but Governor Garcia objected, saying she was not consulted about the bridge closure which would take place in the peak month of airport arrivals and tourists.