The main bridge of the Bonifacio Global City (BGC)-Ortigas link road is almost complete, as reported by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar in his official Facebook page. Once finished, the travel time between Taguig and Pasig will be reduced to only 12 minutes, he said in a separate Facebook post.
In the photo shown by the public works chief, Lawton Avenue in Makati and Santa Monica Street in Pasig are finally connected. The construction started in July 2017, which involved building a four-lane bridge, extending over 900 meters, across the Pasig River, connecting Pasig and Makati. The project likewise features a 347-meter viaduct stretching from Lawton Avenue to the entrance of BGC.
Worth P1.6 billion, the link road initiative is expected to reduce traffic on major roads, such as EDSA and C5.
Netizens, commenting on Secretary Villar’s Facebook post, expressed excitement about the near completion of the bridge.
Despite the halted construction operations the past months because of community quarantine protocols, the public works and highways department is confident that they can finish the project before the deadline, which is the first quarter of 2021.
Bridges for Better Development
Building infrastructure developments that spur economic growth, DPWH has completed more than 4,000 bridges since 2016. One of the new thoroughfares the office opened this year was the bridge connecting the towns of Kalibo and Lezo, touted as the longest bridge in Western Visayas, Rappler reported.
Serving as a diversion road that links Barangay Tigayon and Barangay Mina, the Kalibo Bridge III, which has two lanes and runs 770 linear meters, eases travel for motorists and facilitates the better exchange of products between municipalities. The bridge is also set to contribute to the dynamic tourism in the region. The project started in November 2016, amounting to P500 million.
Meanwhile, over at the southern part of the country, another groundbreaking development that was inaugurated officially this year was the steel bridge in Panabo City, Davao del Norte. The flyover, which stretches over 195 meters, opened last July, reducing travel time from the city to neighboring areas to merely 15 minutes, as reported by Business Mirror. It’s designed to solve road congestion along the busy intersection of Daang Maharlika National Highway-Tadeco and Panabo Wharf Road. Forming part of the massive program Mega Bridges for Urban and Rural Development Project, the new bridge is worth P452 million.
DPWH continues civil works on pending bridge developments. Although the current crisis and quarantine measures brought limitations, the office is positive that they’ll be able to deliver projects on time. Recently, Secretary Villar announced that the implementation of Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge is right on track, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) reported.
The former is targeted to open by March 2021, as it’s now nearing 40 percent completion, while the latter can be inaugurated in December 2020, just before the year ends, having almost 60 percent of the civil works finished.
Once completed, the two bridges will complement the 30 existing thoroughfares across Pasig River, Marikina River, and Manggahan Floodway, reducing road gridlocks along EDSA and other national roads in the capital region.
DPWH ensures the public that they’re fast-tracking the projects, as the office acknowledges the economic and transportation benefits the bridges will offer.
Resumption of Construction
Essential construction projects have been allowed to resume under the modified enhanced community quarantine. The DPWH released safety guidelines for the continuation of infrastructure initiatives last May. Workers qualified to go back to work are those aged 21 to 59 years old without pre-existing medical conditions, and did not come into contact with a COVID-19 patient. All personnel will be subjected to testing and re-testing, if necessary.
Qualified employees will receive construction quarantine passes from the supervisor of the implementing office. This will help workers cross areas under different community quarantine policies.
Meanwhile, concessionaires, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers are required to have provisions that promote the safety and welfare of their workers. These include quarters for lodging, disinfection stations, and continuous supply of vitamins and over-the-counter medicines. Likewise, they must enable workers to comply with social distancing measures and proper hygiene practices. Quarantine facilities and oxygen tanks should be on standby as well for emergency situations.
In government construction initiatives, the contractors must submit personal records to the implementing office of DPWH to aid future contact tracing efforts.
During the actual implementation of construction projects, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is obligatory. Workers should have face masks, safety goggles, face shields, and long-sleeved shirts to reduce the risk of transmission.
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Article and Photo originally posted by Lamudi last August 11, 2020.
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