PPA breaks San Juanico bottleneck

PPA breaks San Juanico bottleneck | Daily Tribune

For months, the San Juanico Bridge was more than a link between Leyte and Samar. It was a pressure point — where trucks stalled, goods slowed, and Eastern Visayas felt the weight of a single infrastructure decision.

As 2025 drew to a close, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) reported that the logjam has finally eased, after turning nearby ports into an improvised but working release valve for stranded cargo.

The trouble began when load limits were imposed on the bridge from 16 May to 12 December, forcing cargo trucks off the main artery and triggering congestion across Leyte and Samar. By midyear, the PPA had pushed traffic seaward.

From June to November, shipcalls between Tacloban and Amandayehan ports reached 2,632, while rolling cargoes totaled 7,256 as trucks were diverted to the interim route.

Stabilized conditions

By yearend, conditions had stabilized. Monitoring reports as of 29 December show no truck queues along Tacloban Bypass Road and Amandayehan Port. The normalization coincided with the Department of Public Works and Highways’ decision to allow vehicles of up to 15 tons gross weight to cross the San Juanico Bridge starting 12 December.

The turnaround followed weeks of severe congestion that disrupted the movement of commercial vehicles and essential goods. Acting on a national government directive to establish an alternative transport route, PPA general manager Jay Santiago ordered an immediate assessment of available ports and identified Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar as a viable interim option because of its proximity to Tacloban.

To make the detour work, the PPA deployed more than P400 million from its Corporate Operating Budget for rapid infrastructure upgrades. These included port expansion to accommodate RoRo and Landing Craft Tank vessels, dredging to improve navigational depth, and the installation of navigational aids to support operations at night and during adverse weather.

Tight inter-agency coordination

The interim operations depended on tight inter-agency coordination. The PPA worked with the Maritime Industry Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Public Works and Highways, local governments of Tacloban City and Basey, the Provincial Government of Samar, and Tingog Partylist to enforce organized truck queuing and traffic management systems, preventing congestion from spilling back onto major road networks.

Running on a 24-hour schedule, an average of four vessels a day serviced the Tacloban–Amandayehan route.

The Port Management Office Eastern Leyte–Samar, together with Globalport Tacloban Terminals Inc., monitored vessel movements and berth utilization. At peak operations, “the interim route facilitated the movement of an average of 800 trucks per day,” according to acting port manager Steffi Guillamon.

“(As) the year ends, the PPA would like to announce that the restored traffic flow has resulted in improved logistics efficiency, reduced turnaround time for cargo and perishable goods, and more reliable inter-island connectivity between Leyte and Samar, contributing to the stabilization of economic activity in Eastern Visayas,” Santiago said.