DPWH to push for total rehabilitation of fire-damaged Quezon Bridge

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) office in the National Capital Region (NCR) will push for the “total rehabilitation” of the fire-damaged Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila after the reinforcement of its structure is completed, the DPWH-NCR head has told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Reynaldo Tagudando, DPWH-NCR director, said on Monday that “once the bridge repair works are completed, we will program the total rehabilitation of the structure,” which was built sometime in the 1940’s.

He reported that “the construction of temporary shoring using steel H-piles (on floor beams) to reinforce the bridge continued even during the Holy Week.”

“More tests will also be conducted after this activity to determine the full extent of the damage inflicted by the (April 10) fire on the bridge’s structural integrity,” he disclosed.

The fire razed an undisclosed number of shanties that were put up under the 102.4-meter and single span steel bridge.

DPWH engineers Blesilda Ramos, Ricardo de Vera and Eduardo Santos earlier said that “deformation and buckling” adversely affected the structural integrity of the steel structure.

In a report to DPWH-NCR and the agency’s Bureau of Design, they also observed that the parts of the bridge that were damaged were located at the “end bays of the bridge’s steel truss, cross bracings, stringers, and floor beams.”

“The bottom chord, especially the middle truss, is discolored due to severe exposure to the fire,” they noted.

The engineers recommended the construction of temporary shoring using steel H-piles at three affected bays of the bridge.

Meanwhile, Quezon Bridge will remain closed to heavy vehicles while repairs are ongoing.

“The bridge’s traffic load is limited to 10 tons (per vehicle),” according to Tagudando.

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