In Loay, Bohol P455M project to replace quake-damaged bridge

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — The earthquake-damaged Clarin Bridge in Loay town, about 18 kilometers from Tagbilaran City, will now be reconstructed with a new bridge, via a project that the DPWH is implementing at a cost of P445.77 million.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, who led the groundbreaking and capsule-laying rites of the project last Friday, said works on the new bridge will start on April 15 and will be completed in 540 days or 18 months. It is funded via a loan agreement between the Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Joining Villar in the ceremony were Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., Loay Mayor Rochelle Bridgette (RB) Imboy, Representative Arthur Yap (3rd district, Bohol), Kisuke Fukui of JICA, DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, and DPWH-7 Regional Director Ador Canlas.

With them were Ibu Budi Dewayanti of the Indonesian Embassy, Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña, project director Virgilio Castillo, and Rose Lao of Vicente T. Lao Construction, the winning bidder and contractor together with PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) of Indonesia.

Mayor RB Imboy said it took hard work and support from the government body to finally have the groundbreaking of the reconstruction of the Clarin Bridge after four years. “This project was spearheaded by the then Mayor May Imboy, right after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol in 2013. It took four years for this project to realize,” she said.

Villar said the damaged bridge will be replaced by a quake-resilient bridge to provide continuous access to tourism sites, economical and reliable mobility of people, goods and services in Bohol, where five other quake-damaged bridges are undergoing repairs.

Castillo said the new Clarin Bridge at Barangay Villalimpia will be a Nielsen-Arch type bridge, supported by two abatements and resting on 1.2-meter-in-diameter bored piles. It will span the famous Loboc River with a total length of 104 linear meters, 425 linear meter in approach road’s total length, a width of 7.92 meters enough for two lanes. (FREEMAN)