On top of estimated repair time: MCWD wants 35 days to fix pipe under bridge

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District is asking the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 for 35 days to implement a project that will give support to its pipelines under the sidewalks of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.

This means further delay to the scheduled repairs of the decades-old structure since their repairs cannot be done alongside the repairs to the bridge itself.

In a letter dated Feb. 11 addressed to DPWH-7 Regional Director Ador Canlas, MCWD acting manager Noel Dalena said the water company needs to reinforce its pipelines with a designed support, considering the risks the bridge repairs pose to its pipes which are strapped and bolted below the bridge’s sidewalk section.

In its proposal attached to the letter, MCWD is proposing a construction methodology to implement the necessary work by section: mid-span and the two suspended supports at its approach side (end spans). 

Based on the construction methodology, two adjacent support pipelines will be removed and rehabilitated at one time to avoid longer unsupported span of pipelines.

The mid-span will be done in a “remove and replace” manner at one support at a time.

This include the removal of support including angular, pipe seat, round bar, pipe strap and neoprene gasket; the repair of rusted surface of the pipe in contract from the strap; the application of rust primer on the surface of the pipe; the proofing of the surface of the pipe; and the installation of new angular support and neoprene gasket, and wooden pipe seat.

For end spans, new pipe supports will be installed in between the existing and dilapidated suspended hangers.

The rehabilitation work on three sections may be done simultaneously, so three teams will be fielded to do the works. The teams will be hired either through bidding or negotiated mode of procurement.

During the undertaking of the project, MCWD will provide the working cage that will serve as a platform, which is fully anchored to the sidewalk railing and the adjacent beam.

Earlier, MCWD said these works are crucial to ensure that supply of water to Mactan Island remains unhampered. The 400mm (16-inch) diameter pipeline brings 12,000 cubic meters of water to around half of the households and commercial establishments in Mactan Island daily.

Aware of such risks, Dalena said MCWD conducted a series of meetings with the bridge project contractor, JEGMA Construction and Development Corp., on October 16 and November 11 to 12 last year.

The meetings were aimed at negotiating with JEGMA to handle for MCWD the impending pipe support repair works, simultaneous to the bridge rehabilitation it is undertaking now.

On December 12 last year, MCWD submitted its proposed design to JEGMA. However, Dalena said it was only during their most recent meeting on February 9 this year that the construction firm “explicitly” begged off from the proposal.

Now, MCWD wants 35 days, excluding the bidding process, to look for another contractor and implement the needed reinforcement works.

The FREEMAN has yet to reach Canlas for his comment on the matter, but on Wednesday he had said DPWH can only work on repairing the sidewalks of the bridge at the moment.

Canlas said if the contractor will demolish the deck slab, the supports of the pipe will eventually drop off. — /BRP (FREEMAN)