Isabela bridge reconstruction hangs in balance after 3 months

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is yet to rebuild the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela, Cagayan, three months after it collapsed.

In NewsWatch Plus’ The Newsmaker on Wednesday, May 21, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan said they have to ascertain the design that will be adopted to ensure that the bridge will be sturdy.

"This is the reason why we wanted to ask the consortium of consulting firms, ‘What can we do? How are we going to rebuild it?’ And all these things will have to come into the equation (of) how we're going to undertake the reconstruction of the bridge,” Bonoan said.

For now, those crossing Cagayan River have to go back to their old routes before the bridge construction, Bonoan said.

“I think there is a way by which they were able to travel across the Cagayan River at that time, even before that bridge was constructed. Unfortunately, that's the situation: back to square one,” he said.

In February, the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge partially fell down.

The DPWH chief said the technical investigation into the bridge’s collapse has been completed. They will be calling concerned individuals to respond to issues found in the probe.