DPWH to color bridges orange

Instead of the national colors red, white and blue, the Department of Public Works and Highways has adopted “international orange,” or safety orange as the uniform color for all DPWH-constructed steel bridges nationwide.

In DPWH Order No. 74, Secretary Rogelio Singson said “the adoption of a uniform color will enable the general public to distinguish bridges constructed by the department from those implemented by local government units.”

The use of medium tone international orange “will increase bridge visibility, as well as protect bridges from the danger of rust from moisture,” Singson explained.

Also referred to as “safety orange,” the color is commonly used in engineering, particularly in warning signs for road construction projects, he said.

In his directive, the DPWH head prescribed “painting steel bridges with medium tone international orange by using CMYK (cyan/magenta/yellow/black) color model 0, 72, 77 and 24, respectively.”

“The paint color mixture shall be prepared using computerized process by the paint manufacturer or its accredited outlet,” said Singson.

He added, “painting workmanship on metal surfaces should be in accordance with the DPWH standard specifications for public work structures, which aim to improve the quality of infrastructure projects.”

Meanwhile, the DPWH last week inaugurated the 64.6-kilometer San Julian-Balangkayan road project in Eastern Samar.

The P2.45 billion project, part of the Secondary National Roads Development Project, was funded by the United States government-run Millennium Challenge Corporation.