A new steel bridge that will replace the old Borja Bridge which collapsed in Catigbian town last June due to overloading will be installed by the end of November, a provincial official said.

According to Provincial Engineer Camilo Gasatan, vehicles may start to pass through the new bridge in Barangay Alegria by the first week of December.

The steel bridge is part of a provincial road but it is being built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office which also provided the materials for the construction.

“Kanang mga materyales ana gikan na sa DPWH kay dito nagpatabang nila. Mahog siyang provincial bridge kay along a provincial road, pero DPWH ang nag trabaho,” Gasatan said.

Gasatan explained that forming the steel bridge only takes around two weeks but they still had to wait for materials to arrive.

Continued rains in the past weeks also hampered construction.

“Mga duhang sema na ni siya gasgugod kay dali ra man gud na siya trabahuon. Nagsige lang og uwan mao na langay gamay, lisod mag wielding og mag-uwan,” said Gasatan.

In June, the old steel bridge collapsed taking down with it a 12-wheeler truck which went beyond the structure’s weight limit of 20 tons.

The truck was estimated to have weighed 34 tons while authorities had also noted that the collapse was due to repeated passage of overweight vehicles.  

This prompted then-incoming Governor Aris Aumentado to order the strict enforcement of bridge weight limits across the province.

He also directed concerned government agencies and local government units to check on the integrity of bridges in their areas of responsibility.  (RT)