President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspects the ongoing construction of a temporary Bailey bridge near the collapsed Agana Bridge in Tarlac City on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The government has allocated Php 300 million in assistance for rehabilitation efforts, while the temporary crossing is expected to accommodate light vehicles once completed and cleared through stress testing. (Photo courtesy of Presidential Communications Office)
Efforts to reconnect communities affected by the collapse of Agana Bridge are set to receive Php 300 million in national government assistance as work continues on a temporary crossing in Tarlac City.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the assistance Wednesday during an inspection of the site with Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon. He also directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to speed up construction of the Bailey bridge.
Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap said workers would need about 10 days to complete the temporary structure and conduct stress tests before it could be opened. The crossing would initially accommodate light vehicles only.
The temporary bridge is intended to restore access disrupted when the 136-meter Agana Bridge in Barangay Tibag collapsed following days of intense rainfall and strong river currents.
The damaged crossing serves as an important route for motorists traveling between Tarlac City and the municipalities of Sta. Ignacia, Mayantoc, Camiling and San Clemente.
The collapse also resulted in a search and rescue operation after an SUV carrying five people plunged into the Tarlac River on Aug. 29. One occupant survived, while the bodies of two passengers were subsequently recovered in Pangasinan. Two others remained missing.
During the inspection, Marcos pointed to climate change as a factor behind increasingly destructive weather events, citing both the Agana Bridge collapse and the damage sustained by the 720-meter Aquino Bridge on Aug. 28.
Tarlac was placed under a state of calamity on Aug. 30 following widespread damage caused by heavy rains associated with the southwest monsoon.