The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Tuesday inaugurated the new Clarin Bridge in Loay, replacing the old bridge which collapsed in April.

DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain, chief implementer of the national government’s Build, Build, Build program, led the inauguration on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Sadian, the new bridge will enhance mobility in the province, particularly in the transportation of goods and people to the province’s tourism destinations.

“The opening of the Clarin Bridge is a timely response to address the need for a safer and sturdier replacement for the decades-old structure,” said Sadain.

The Clarin Bridge is a vital link to the province’s tourism sites.

It crosses over the Loboc River and connects the coastal town of Loay to Loboc, which is one of the main entry points to the province’s interior towns.

The P445-million bridge is 104 meters long and 6.7 meters wide including the sidewalk.

It is the second Nielsen-type bridge in the country.

For her part, third district Rep. Alexie Tutor expressed gratitude to Duterte and the DPWH for completing the bridge.

“We are so blessed to be the recipient of abundant projects in the third district,” said Tutor.

Tutor was among local officials who joined the inauguration which included outgoing Governor Art Yap and reelected Loay Mayor Hilario Ayuban.

Kenji Koronuma, senior representative for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which helped fund the project, and Japan Consul General Hediki also attended the event.

The new Clarin Bridge was partially opened ahead of schedule in May after the old bridge collapsed on April 29, killing four persons and injuring over a dozen others.

The old Clarin Bridge was among the slew of infrastructures damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted the province in 2013. (RT)