Bukidnon bridge shows cracks; P150-M retrofitting works set

IMPASUGONG, Bukidnon — Motorists along the Sayre Highway should expect travel delays and holiday traffic congestion due to a one-lane, stop-and-go traffic scheme at Atugan Bridge in Barangay La Fortuna, Impasugong, Bukidnon, which started Tuesday, after the discovery of the bridge’s structural defects.

Shara Vinessa Garcia, spokesperson for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bukidnon 1st District Engineering Office in Malaybalay City, confirmed that structural assessments revealed cracks along the 43-year-old, 223.04-meter-long bridge, rendering it unsafe for unrestricted public use without engineering interventions.

Garcia told the Inquirer over the phone on Thursday that civil engineers have recommended retrofitting works for the structure.

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READ: Mindanao’s longest bridge shows potholes 2 months after openingThe DPWH 1st District Engineering Office is awaiting the release of a P150 million budget from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), sourced from savings under the General Appropriations Act (GAA)

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The project implementation—including bidding, consultancy, and actual retrofitting works—is expected to commence early next year, she said.

To ease traffic congestion at the bridge, the DPWH advises light vehicles to take the Impasugong–Patulangan bypass road (old Sayre Highway) as an alternative route.

Standing approximately 64.5 meters (212 feet) above the canyon floor, Atugan Bridge is recognized as one of Mindanao’s highest bridges.

It serves as a vital transportation link along the major Cagayan de Oro–Bukidnon–Davao route, facilitating travel through Mindanao’s mountainous interior. /coa