P445-million JICA-funded Bohol bridge starts reconstruction next month

The reconstruction of the earthquake-damaged Clarin Bridge in Bohol, which would be funded by a loan from the Japanese government, would begin next month, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said yesterday.

It would cost P445 million to rebuild the 104-liner meter bridge along the Bohol Circumferential Road which was severely damaged when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit Bohol province in 2013. Before its destruction, it served as a vital link to tourism sites in the province and facilitated the transfer of goods and services.

The reconstruction of the bridge is part of the Road Upgrading and Preservation Project of JICA with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which covers asset preservation, preventive maintenance, as well as the upgrading and improvement of roads in rural and urban areas.

Other ongoing projects of the DPWH under the program include the Central Luzon Link Expressway, Arterial Road Bypass Project II and III, Metro Manila Interchange Project VI, Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project and Davao City Bypass Project.

After the recent groundbreaking, reconstruction of the Clarin Bridge begins in April and would last until October 2019.

The Clarin Bridge spans the Loboc River, a prominent tourist destination in Bohol.  It also offers an alternate route to Bohol’s Billar manmade forest, as well as conservation areas for tarsier and butterflies.