MANILA, Philippines–The Manila city government has warned truckers and the national government about overloading Delpan Bridge with too many cargo trucks.
Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso issued the warning after the city government lifted the expanded truck ban earlier this month, opening Manila’s roads to cargo trucks exiting or entering the port area.
“We urge Task Force Pantalan and the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) to strictly observe and monitor traffic in the area of the Delpan Bridge,” he said in a statement, referring to the national inter-agency task force formed to decongest the Port of Manila and ease traffic in the area.
Domagoso cited a study conducted recently by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which revealed that the bridge was not designed to carry the dead weight of trucks beyond a certain limit.
“If it is filled with trucks and they are caught in traffic, the structural integrity of the bridge will be compromised,” he said.
He did not specify the bridge’s load limit but said that trucks must not be allowed to stop on the bridge.
Domagoso noted that when the truck ban was in place, this threat was not apparent because trucks were allowed to occupy only one lane each in both directions on the bridge.