Marcos: Raise San Juanico load limit to 12 tons

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the government is targeting to raise the load capacity of the San Juanico Bridge to 12 tons by December this year.

“Our target is that by December, before the year ends, vehicles weighing up to 12 tons can use the bridge,” Marcos said in an episode of the BBM Podcast aired Friday.

Stressing the urgency of the timeline, he warned, “That’s a test. If you don’t finish it on time, I’ll accept your resignation.”

The President also apologized to residents of Samar and Leyte affected by the bridge’s ongoing rehabilitation, assuring them that their safety remains the government’s top priority.

“I’m sorry this happened. I know what you’re going through — our transport operators, our entrepreneurs. Rest assured, we’re expediting the repairs to resolve this quickly,” Marcos said.

In May, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the current three-ton limit — imposed due to structural concerns — could be raised in the last quarter of the year.

However, he clarified that the bridge’s full capacity will only be restored once a new parallel bridge is constructed.

A recent DPWH assessment flagged safety concerns with the structure, prompting the temporary restriction on vehicles heavier than three tons from using the 2.16-kilometer bridge.

Built in 1969 and completed in 1973, the San Juanico Bridge connects the islands of Samar and Leyte. It remains the third-longest bridge over seawater in the country and was one of the flagship infrastructure projects of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.