The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced Monday that the San Juanico Bridge will soon undergo major rehabilitation, with plans to reduce vehicle load in the meantime.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, in an interview with DZRH, said a parallel bridge connecting Sta. Rita in Samar to Tacloban and San Isidro will be built first before the existing structure is closed for repairs. The new bridge will be financed by the Japanese government.

“The plan is to finish the new parallel bridge first before closing the San Juanico Bridge for major rehabilitation. However, earlier this year — or maybe late last year — the regional office engaged a local consulting firm to conduct a preliminary assessment of the condition of the San Juanico Bridge,” he said in Filipino.

Bonoan noted that the 50-year-old bridge has shown signs of deterioration, with reports of wobbling on the approaches, although not on the main structure. He emphasized the need for immediate action.

“There was a time when we did some retrofitting, but the approaches on the Tacloban and Samar sides have yet to be repaired,” he added.

He also said preparations are underway for the Guadalupe Bridge project, which will involve structural changes and the construction of detour bridges during the rehabilitation process.

Meanwhile, Malacañang on Monday appealed to the users of the San Juanico Bridge to have more patience as it is set to undergo rehabilitation.

“According to our President, rehabilitation will have an impact on the people, on the concerned citizens who are in the area. But let’s look at it from a more positive perspective because this is rehabilitation; we would rather avoid any possible disaster if it is not fixed promptly,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a briefing.

The DPWH, earlier found structural vulnerabilities on the iconic bridge, prompting for a long duration repairs as a precaution.

The bridge connecting Samar and Leyte will undergo rehabilitation for two years.

Prior to the closure of the bridge, Bonoan said a parallel bridge will be built first to accommodate residents in the area. This structure will connect Sta. Rita, Samar to Tacloban and San Isidro in Leyte. The construction of the new bridge will be funded by the Japanese government.

In 2023, the DPWH and the Japan International Cooperation Agency proposed the possibility of building a new bridge to serve as an alternate route to Leyte and Samar.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Civil Defense has created the San Juanico Task Group to oversee the security, safety and operational coordination of the bridge.

Blue Alert 

As of 16 May, “Blue Alert” is hoisted at Eastern Visayas placing all concerned agencies on heightened alert in case of any eventualities.

“This means that the concerned agencies are on heightened alert to meet and respond to the needs of the affected people,” Castro said.

Vehicles weighing more than three tons are not allowed to pass the bridge and instead redirected to use other routes or utilize RoRo vessels.

The following ports may be used by trucks exceeding the 3-ton weight limits: Tacloban Port, Calbayog Port, Catbalogan Port, Biliran Port, Ormoc Port Manguinoo Port, Calbayog Samar, Hilongos Port, Maasin Port, Naval Port, Palompon Port, Calubian Port and Villaba Port.

The DPWH has placed weighing stations on both sides of the bridge to ensure that proper vehicle weight is followed.

Public Assistance Desks are also placed to ensure safety monitoring on vehicles passing through the bridge as well as streamline assistance and information dissemination.

The DPWH will deploy 13 shuttle buses operating 24/7 to ferry residents of Samar and Leyte to and from destination points while the bridge is being repaired.

Repairs for the bridge are estimated to cost between P300 to P500 million.