Bailey bridge now in place on damaged section of SCTEx

CONTRIBUTED  PHOTO

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines—A Bailey bridge over the damaged approach to the Pasig-Potrero Bridge on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) has been installed, enabling motorists to reuse the route next week, possibly by Sept. 10, an official confirmed on Thursday.

The Bailey bridge, made of collapsible steel plates and columns held together by nuts and bolts or welded in place, was laid out at the Clark-bound side of the Pasig-Potrero bridge’s approach on Wednesday, Joseph Bingcang, project manager for SCTEx services of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), said in a telephone phone interview.

The BCDA is the owner of the SCTEx, which was built with a loan from Japan.

The BCDA on Wednesday released a photo of the bridge, which the BCDA and the Department of Public Works and Highways worked to put up. The costs have not been announced yet.

The Bailey bridge allows access both to Clark and Subic, Bingcang said.

September 10 is the target date for reopening of that section of the highway to light vehicles, he added.

Floodwaters heavy with volcanic sediments smashed through the embankment of the bridge on Aug. 20 at the height of Tropical Storm Maring, destroying that part of the structure and causing all four lanes of the approach to crash. The gash spanned two meters.

This was the first time that the 94-km SCTEx  sustained major damage since it was opened in 2005.

The two other lanes were closed for “long term repairs,” he said.

Bingcang said only light vehicles could pass through the Bailey bridge, which has a maximum capacity of 25 tons.

Heavy vehicles were advised to use alternate routes via the North Luzon Expressway and Jose Abad Santos Avenue. Traffic at the Clark-Tarlac side is normal.