The first engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) plans to replace the bridge deck in Tagbuane Bridge in Alburquerque to make it safer for vehicles to pass.
DPWH-1 District Engr. Antonio Flores issued the statement to allay fears of future accidents in Tagbuane Bridge after the last one where a multicab plunged into a fish pond and the 18-year-old pedestrian bumped by the vehicle died.
According to Flores, they will place an anti-slip deck coating on the steel bridge deck that is of French technology.
The make of the steel bridge deck had been blamed in several accidents in the area where the vehicles skidded to the side of the bridge upon applying brakes and plunged to a fish pond below.
Flores admitted that they, at the DPWH-1, were hurt when people blamed them for the accidents.
He explained that had placed a warning for motorists to go slow when passing the bridge and even placed a sign that says, “slippery when wet” to duly warn the drivers.
They had also placed rumble strip on the road to the approach of the bridge to alert the motorists.
Flores said they had already requested their head office in Manila for the supply of anti-slip materials that would be placed on the bridge deck just like the new bridge in Tagbuane which has an anti-slip coating on its deck.
Flores also explained that they cannot put asphalt overlay on the steel bridge deck because asphalt will not stick on the steel material.
As of now, the side of the bridge where accidents had occurred had already been blocked after the latest accident last week.
The area is also now closed to any vehicle to prevent any further untoward incident.
It was only three weeks prior the latest that an accident in the area occurred where two private vehicles also plunged into the area where the multicab that met an accident on Sunday had landed.
Flores said the drivers should also be careful in passing the bridge and take note of the signages that they had placed.
Aside from steel-deck Tagbuane Bridge, DPWH-1 also plans to place an anti-skid coating on the Songculan Bridge in Dauis which is also under its jurisdiction, according to Flores.