INQUIRER Global Nation

THE Old Mactan-Mandaue bridge will be closed to traffic for at least two days when the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will start repaving bridge.

But it would be done after the Lapu-Lapu City fiesta on Nov. 21.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said the bridge should not be closed during the duration of the annual feast of the Our Lady of the Rule because it would create traffic in the area.

During the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB) meeting on Tuesday, Lapu-Lapu City Planning and Development Officer Perla Amar brought to the governor's attention the need to repair the potholes on the bridge.

Cebu Provincial Engineer Eulogio Pelayre told the board that if workers put more than eight hours of work, the repaving would be done in two days.

Pelayre's advice was sought after the province offered its equipment to help repair the bridge after the DPWH told the board of its budgetary problems on fixing the bridge this year.

“We have to do this the soonest possible time because we have to close the bridge while work is ongoing,” said Garcia.

Mario Montejo of the DPWH engineering district said the repair may not be done this year since the regional office barely had cash for the project.

An allocation for the repair will have to be included in the 2009 budget, he said.

Garcia said the MCBMB would loan money to the DPWH so that it could start the repair on the bridge.

“Pahulmon lang usa mo namo ug kwarta unya bayari lang mi ug naa na unya moy kwarta,” Garcia told DPWH officials led by assistant regional director Marlina Alviso during the MCBMB meeting held on Tuesday morning at the old capitol session hall.

De Guzman said that DPWH only gets at least P800,000 yearly for the maintenance of the two Mandaue-Mactan bridges.

De Guzman said that as of October 2008, they only had a balance of P71,303 for bridge maintenance. Most of the allocation were spent for repainting, installation of lights and other maintenance works which they implemented earlier.

Montejo said they would need at least P3 million to repave the old bridge which measures about 860 meters long and 7.2 meters wide.

Governor Garcia said thet MCBMB that supervised the operations and upkeep of the two bridges could loan DPWH the needed funds.

The governor asked DPWH officials to present during the next MCBMB meeting on Dec. 16 a program of works and schedule on when the repaving should be done.

Eda de Guzman of DPWH said that asphalt overlay is not possible because this will add to the bridge's existing weight.

De Guzman said that they needed to use a machine that would remove the existing asphalt before these could be repaved.

Garcia said that the provincial government could allow DPWH to borrow its equipment to hasten the reair.

Pelayre said that the province grinder may be used to remove the existing asphalt on the surface of the old bridge.

A compactor machine will be made to follow the grinder before asphalt could again be added on the bridge.

“We will offer you our equipment. We have to do this at the least discomfort of our commuters,” said Garcia. /Reporter Doris C. Bongcac