TACLOBAN CITY—The half lane in the ongoing reconstruction of the vital Hiagsam Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc national highway is now complete, said the Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH 2nd LED), and declared that the first phase of the bridge project will be completed by August.
The target date of completion was this July however, driving its huge pier deep down into soil caused additional days of work including soil exploration and boring tests prior to the actual construction.
The DPWH 2nd LED has reported the bridge to be 83 percent complete, with half of the lane of the main bridge already poured with concrete, and the other half will be completed soon.
DPWH 2nd LED District engineer Carlos Veloso said this was part of the first phase of the project as the new bridge will have a total of four lanes to accommodate increasing traffic.
The Hiagsam Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck girder bridge that is 19.3 meters wide and will span a length of 50.8 meters. The bridge will be expanded on each side in line with the road widening projects being done to highways adjacent to the bridge.
The bridge was damaged during Typhoon “Senyang” in 2014 and formal works on the bridge commenced in November 2015. The bridge reconstruction is being done on a P37.9-million budget.
Other improvement works will also be done on the bridge such as slope protection, drainage and sidewalks.
Construction is being done by MWJ Construction through the supervision of the DPWH 2nd LED.
An asphalt overlay detour spillway has been constructed as an alternative bridge and has since been utilized to provide access along this route. The detour bridge is accessible to motorcycle, light vehicles and medium truck. The detour bridge runs both ways.
