Tullahan Bridge repair to begin this week – DPWH

The reconstruction of Tullahan Bridge along MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City will begin this week despite continuing objection from local governments, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday.

Project head Engr. Ed Santos, of the DPWH National Capital Region Office, said they will no longer consider delaying yet again the repair of the 73-year-old bridge after the re-routing scheme for vehicles was approved as a result of the second dry-run last Friday.

"Actually, we didn’t have so (many) choices in the re-routing scheme for affected vehicles since there were no other alternatives. We are sticking with our proposed plan," Santos told The STAR.

Under the detour plan, buses, trucks and heavy vehicles coming from both directions would be diverted to North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) while the volume of public utility jeepneys would be reduced through trip-cutting.

Mayors earlier criticized this re-routing scheme, which they said would increase the cost of public transportation in the area – especially for passenger buses from Bulacan that would temporarily have to pay toll to pass through NLEX.

"It is really difficult to answer that point on additional cost. But we have limited options in our detour plan so all we can do is ask for a little sacrifice from the public. We are doing this for their safety," Santos said.

Local executives of Valenzuela and other cities that will be affected by the five-month closure of Tullahan Bridge have expressed their intention to insist on the postponement of the project until after the May 14 elections. They are reportedly set to meet today to discuss this matter.

The DPWH is determined to push through with its timeline for the Tullahan Bridge reconstruction project.

Santos said they could not afford to postpone the project since public safety is at stake.

Engineers found that most of the steel members supporting the bridge are corroded. They said the structure needs to undergo "immediate rehabilitation or full reconstruction."

Under the DPWH plan, the bridge would be demolished and replaced by a new concrete one that is two meters higher.

The DPWH is currently repairing another bridge linking Valenzuela to Bgy. Banga in Meycauayan, Bulacan. This bridge would have been a viable alternate route for vehicles once the Tullahan Bridge is closed.

Mayors said it would be better to wait for the completion of this bridge before starting the reconstruction of Tullahan Bridge.

But DPWH officials argued that the ongoing repair at the other bridge is actually advantageous since "we could deal with less traffic since vehicles going to Valenzuela have already been halted by that repair project."

Various quarters reportedly criticized Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and other mayors in Northern

Metro Manila for "politicking" on the bridge repair project. They said local executives are opposing the project supposedly to win their constituents’ support.

A DPWH official told The STAR that these local executives "just want to appear they are fighting for the interest of their people. Of course they would have to have a good impression on the public until May 14."

"We can’t help but speculate. I just don’t understand why he would prefer our works done after the elections when that would be beginning of classes, which means traffic could be worse," the official said.

The DPWH was supposed to start the reconstruction of Tullahan Bridge last Friday, but was halted by Gatchalian, who claimed the DPWH have failed to present a viable traffic re-routing scheme. The mayors, however, could not present an alternative apart from postponement of the project until after the elections.

Acting DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan declared that the agency is unlikely to postpone the reconstruction of the Tullahan Bridge since it is among the four bridges in Metro Manila the DPWH had identified as dilapidated and structurally unstable. The other three are Ayala Bridge and Jones Bridge in Manila and Guadalupe Bridge in Makati City.

He stressed it is important for the project to begin before March 30, when an election ban on infrastructure projects will start.

Under the guidelines of Commission on Elections, the DPWH will not be allowed to bid or release funds or award new projects 45 days before and after the May 14 elections. Only infrastructure projects implemented before March 30 and maintenance projects could continue within the election period.