Quezon gov explains nat’l bridge’ closure
LUCENA CITY – Quezon Gov. Angelina “Doktora Helen” Tan yesterday called for a consultative meeting among concerned parties to clarify the sudden closure of the Lagnas bridge along the national highway in Bgy. Sampaloc 2, Sariaya town.
During the meeting, Tan asked the cooperation, coordination and collaboration among local officials of affected municipalities and cities and concerned representatives of the national agencies.
The lady governor was forced to call for the meeting following the bridge’ closure on orders of the Department of Public Works and Higways (DPWH)-Quezon 2nd Engineering District Office under district engineer Del Rosario Naca as the sub-surface foundation of the two bored piles beneath the bridge was found to have been severely-damaged by the past typhoons.
With the closure, only light vehicles are allowed to pass through the bridge.
It will be recalled that last Sunday, the governor questioned the total closure of the bridge ordered by Sariaya Mayor Marcelo Gayeta, prompting Naca to remove some of the barriers and allow light vehicles to pass through.
For his part, Gayeta said they earlier asked permission from Naca to have the bridge totally closed to traffic in preparation for the upcoming typhoon Pepito, but the latter did not respond.
Aside from being uninformed, the governor clarified that roads and bridges should remain passable to light vehicles during calamities in order not to hamper possible rescue operation.
Based on what was agreed during the consultative meeting, the bridge will be closed to heavy vehicles, except passenger buses.
Part of the rehabilitation to be conducted by DPWH is micropiling, ground ceiling and constructing of sabo dam which is estimated to be completed after four to six months.
The sub-surface foundation of the two bored piles beneath Lagnas bridge was severely-damaged by strong water current, with boulders coming from the Mt. Banahaw stream triggered by typhoons.
On January 4, 2023, Tan wrote a letter to DPWH regional director Jovel Mendoza requesting for the immediate repair, rehabilitation or any appropriate engineering intervention of the said agency on the deteriorating condition of the Lagnas bridge.
In response to the governor’s request, Naca’ s personnel conducted inspection and eventually built gabions (cages or wirework containers filled with rock), around the damaged foundation to prevent soil and rock erosion.
But some observers claim that the action taken by Naca was just a palliative band-aid solution and it was not enough to claim safety of the passing motorists along the bridge.
