The Department of Public Works and Highways assured that no retrofitting will happen to the more than 50-year-old EDSA Guadalupe Bridge unless they already established the extension lanes in EDSA to prevent traffic congestion once the retrofitting is in full swing.

“We are not repairing Guadalupe Bridge but strengthening it. So, we are expanding the capacity of EDSA on both sides before we strengthen the innermost part of the bridge. The extension will add carrying capacity before we touch the Guadalupe bridge,” said DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral during the Build Better More (BBM) Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City in Tarlac.

Earlier, the DPWH said the retrofitting of the EDSA Guadalupe Bridge, which connects Makati and Mandaluyong, would take 34 months, expecting everyday hassle to commuters and motorists.

Cabral maintained that the design of the project was already done and they are closely coordinating with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), as traffic management in EDSA is expected to be very complex once the retrofitting starts.

“Optimistically, we want to start this year, but Secretary (Manuel) Bonoan said we have to finish first the expansion of both sides of the extension before we can start the works for EDSA Guadalupe Bridge,” she stressed.

Cabral said they have already submitted the Traffic Management Plan to the MMDA, as well as rushing the construction of the connector that will link NLEX to Skyway “so that motorists will have a rerouting option instead of using EDSA if you want to go from North to South.”

Further, she said the Traffic Management Plan was yet to be approved by the MMDA as it needs further fine-tuning.

Cabral said they are pushing the project as the Guadalupe Bridge might collapse if the dreaded “The Big One” hit Metro Manila, quoting a report from the Japan International Cooperation Agency that the West Valley Fault was already ripe to emit a Magnitude 7 earthquake any time.

“If this bridge is not retrofitted, then there will be a huge problem,” according to Cabral.

Most costly project

Meanwhile, Cabral revealed that the biggest and most costly project of the Build Better More project, the 32.14 kilometers Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, amounting to P219 billion will commence construction in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Once realized, the said bridge will ease travel time between Bataan and Cavite from five hours to 45 minutes.

“The detailed engineering design of the project is now 98 percent completed, to be funded by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Asian Development Bank. Last week, we just held the bidding for the first contract package of this project. And we'll start soon, hopefully, the last part of this year or early part of next year,” she said.