The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has declared three segments of the San Juanico Bridge unsafe, prompting immediate retrofitting and a strict 3-ton load limit on all passing vehicles.
According to Public Works Secretary Manny Bonoan, a consulting firm found vulnerabilities in the bridge, particularly in one approach from Tacloban and another from Samar. “It’s very precarious, ‘yung 3 segment ng San Juanico Bridge. They recommended the immediate closure. Ang report nila talagang unsafe na ‘yung 3 segment. Ang isa ‘yung approach from Tacloban at ‘yung isa approach from Samar,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.
Bonoan added that the sudden decision was made to ensure public safety. “It’s a sudden decision that we have to do it because ‘yung safety ng mga motorista, we don’t want to compromise…The department did not anticipate na ganon na kalala ang 3 segments,” he said.
Cargo trucks and buses are temporarily banned from crossing the bridge. The San Juanico Bridge serves as a major link between Samar and Leyte and plays a vital role in the transport of goods and people from Luzon to Mindanao.
To ease the impact of the restriction, the DPWH is coordinating with the Department of Transportation to increase ferry services in the area.
A new bridge connecting Sta. Rita and Tacloban is also in the pipeline, with funding from the Japanese government. Construction is expected to start in 2027, following the completion of its design phase.
“We are going to undertake yung mga retrofitting works dun sa 3 segments for the time being para kahit paano ma-increase namin yung load limit but I don’t think it will come to a normal travel across San Juanico bridge for the time being until we construct that new bridge,” Bonoan added.