DPWH opens San Juanico Bridge to heavy trucks under guidelines

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways in Eastern Visayas has opened a window for heavy trucks beyond the current limit of 15 tons to cross San Juanico Bridge, but subject to strict guidelines, effective the evening of Wednesday, 17 December.

DPWH-8, in a social media post, said it will now allow trucks up to a gross vehicle weight of 30 tons to pass through San Juanico Bridge during the designated nighttime window from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., on a one-way-at-a-time basis.

Truckers and bus drivers are also instructed to maintain a speed limit of 30 kph and a distance of at least 40 meters apart.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez has directed the Traffic Operations, Management, Enforcement and Control Office (TOMECO), which manages city traffic, to ensure that the guidelines are strictly followed.

“I urge everyone to cooperate and follow the regulations for everybody’s safety,” Romualdez said.

While the announcement was generally met with positive feedback, drivers and truckers who regularly ply the route from Samar to Leyte are asking DPWH to expedite the repair of two other critical bridges – the Palanit Bridge in San Isidro, Northern Samar, and Calbiga Bridge in Calbiga, Samar – both along the Maharlika Highway, which have restrictions that hinder the free flow of cargo from Luzon.

The two bridges, both about as old as the San Juanico Bridge, are presently undergoing repairs and retrofitting due to structural defects.

Albert Togado, a truck driver, said the problem of transporting goods remains unresolved until these two bridges are repaired and the maximum load limits are restored.

DPWH imposed a 5-ton load limit and a one-lane traffic scheme since October 2025 for safety, directing heavy vehicles over the limit to the alternate Catarman-Calbayog Road via Lope De Vega to avoid risks, adding at least three hours to their travel time.

On the other hand, DPWH enforced a 15-ton weight limit on Calbiga Bridge starting October 27, 2025, allowing only one vehicle to cross the bridge at a time.

Under the restrictions, no trailers or trucks over 15 tons are allowed, even after reinforcement work. Heavy trucks that cannot lighten their load were advised to reroute through Eastern Samar, adding at least six hours to their travel time.