Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday, May 21, said the administration is preparing to construct a new and “longer” bridge near the existing San Juanico bridge between Leyte and Samar provinces.
“The main bridge is going to be longer than the existing San Juanico bridge,” Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan told “The Newsmaker.”
“When this bridge [is] completed, this new bridge, then that would be the time that we will cross the San Juanico bridge for the major repair works,” Bonoan added.
The secretary said the load limit has been limited to three tons to prevent incidents as the 2.16-kilometer link is overdue for retrofitting.
Bonoan said a number of components in the country’s longest span have been corroded and need to be upgraded.
He added that the construction of the longer bridge would be funded by the Japanese government.
The bridge was opened during the administration of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the president’s father, in 1973.
