| PHOTO: DPWH-8
TACLOBAN CITY – Officials agreed to relocate the proposed second San Juanico Bridge from nearby Babatngon town to this city, citing accessibility as the main reason, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here confirmed on Tuesday.
Citing reports from the DPWH Unified Project Monitoring Office, DPWH regional information officer Cressida Paula Mangaporo said there were three primary reasons why there was a change in the location of the proposed long bridge.
“First is access to two-way traffic. If the new bridge is close to the existing one, the other one is intended for Leyte-bound vehicles, while the other one is meant for Samar-bound vehicles,” Mangaporo told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview.
The second consideration is the bridge’s sustainability. If the bridge is situated near the existing one, maintenance activities are easier since there are operating maintenance stations on both the Leyte and Samar sides of the existing San Juanico Bridge.
“If the new bridge is in Babatngon, we will build a new maintenance station, which is costly,” she added.
The third consideration is the proximity of the new bridge to the city, the regional capital of Eastern Visayas.
Under the old proposal, the second San Juanico Bridge will cross the Janbatas Channel, a portion of the San Juanico Strait that separates the region’s two major islands. The proposed bridge connects Babatngon, Leyte, and Sta. Rita, Samar.
In the new proposal, the new bridge will be located just a few meters from the existing one, connecting Tacloban and Sta. Rita town.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study team for the 2nd San Juanico Bridge project started its first of four on-site visits to the bridge route options on November 17, 2023.
The team had their second on-site study in the first quarter of the year. Their third assessment is scheduled this month, while the final visit is in September 2024.
Experts are expected to come up with their final feasibility study report early in December 2024. No data on project cost estimates has been released by the DPWH.
Construction for the second San Juanico Bridge is expected to kick off in 2025.
Eastern Visayas officials pushed for the construction of an alternative bridge due to the deteriorating condition of the existing bridge and the increasing traffic.
In 2019, traffic volume on the San Juanico Bridge stood at 7,200 vehicles daily, close to its 10,000 daily capacity.
In 2030, it is expected to increase to 10,900 daily, more than its limit, and 15,900 by 2040.
Built in 1973, the existing 2.16 km. San Juanico Bridge faces many issues, such as aging and high maintenance costs. The bridge forms part of the country’s nautical highway that connects Luzon to Mindanao. (PNA)