Dizon: Tarlac’s Agana Bridge to reopen this week

MANILA, Philippines — The Agana Bridge in Tarlac is expected to reopen to pedestrians and light vehicles on Monday or Tuesday, nearly three weeks after it partially collapsed due to strong river currents and heavy rains, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said Sunday.

Dizon announced it while inspecting the bridge, which collapsed on Aug. 29. The collapse also claimed lives after a sports utility vehicle plunged into the Tarlac River.

READ: Agana Bridge to reopen soon; P300M for repair of Tarlac bridges — Marcos

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“We talked with our engineers earlier and we are already confident of the bridge’s stability even when it rains again, we continue to support the bridge underneath. We are confident that by tomorrow, latest Tuesday, we can reopen the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians,” Dizon said in an interview.

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Dizon noted that trucks and buses are still not allowed to pass through the bridge and that his agency will release a list of vehicles that can access the bridge.

“The city will help us to have traffic management to ensure that no heavy and prohibited vehicles can pass through,” he added.

Dizon also said they may conduct load testing for light vehicles by Sunday evening or early Monday as the agency finishes setting up ramps for passage on the bridge.

READ: Reward offered to find last missing passenger in Tarlac bridge collapse

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On Sept. 2, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Agana Bridge could reopen to pedestrians within one week and to light vehicles weighing 10 tons or less within two weeks. Dizon apologized for the delay, stressing that safety should not be compromised during reconstruction.

Dizon also said the agency was coordinating with the Tarlac provincial government on the reopening of the nearby Aquino Bridge, whose middle portion collapsed on Aug. 28 due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat.

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He said reconstructing the Aquino Bridge is “more challenging” given the extent of its damage and that the agency would provide the necessary assistance for its rehabilitation.

Dizon also said the agency would construct two parallel structures at Agana and Aquino while the existing ones undergo retrofitting.

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Marcos earlier said the national government would allocate P300 million to the local government for the rehabilitation of the two collapsed bridges. /mcm