2 new Bicol bridges now open to motorists

Ligao City (11 September) — Two newly constructed bridges were opened to traffic, linking this city to Tabaco City and other villages in the province, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Albay 2nd District Engineering Office under the leadership of District Engineer Efren C. Manalo, said.

The newly constructed bridges are the Basag Bridge at barangay Basag and Tobgon Bridge at barangay Batang, both in Ligao City.

Albay 3rd District Representative Reno G. Lim inaugurated the Basag Bridge last August 28, 2009, to be followed by another inaugural ceremony on September 18, 2009 for the Tobgon Bridge.

DPWH District Engineer Manalo said some P38.4 million from the President’s Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts (B-CARE) funds were spent to reconstruct the two bridges destroyed by super typhoon ‘Reming’ in November 2006.

Manalo said the total collapse of the two vital bridges isolated several villages and Tabaco City bringing difficulties in transporting farm products to the this city and other municipalities of Albay.

He said the completion of Basag and Tobgon Bridges would hasten the transportation of farm products to the market, thereby improving the livelihood of the farmers in the rural villages of this city.

Basag Bridge is 30.60 linear meters RCDG Bridge type with 159 linear meters of guard rails at both approaches and project cost of P23.7 million sourced by Congressman Reno G. Lim from B-CARE funds.

Tobgon Bridge is 60.00 linear meters Steel Truss Type (Type CH5D) and 75.00 linear meter span RCDG both Reinforced Concrete Deck Slab Superstructure, one Abutment and Pier Substructure supported by Steel H-Pile Abutment. Slope protection is rested on steel sheet.

Project cost is P14.7 million; it’s a foreign-assisted project from the United Kingdom (UK) with funding counterpart from the Government of the Philippines (GOP).

The two bridges were awarded to and constructed by NFH Construction and Supply.

Manalo said the construction of the two bridges brings to completion the rehabilitation of various infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, and flood control structures destroyed by two super typhoons that hit the Albay province in 2006. (DPWH V/PIA)