P2.2-B Butuan bridge opens April ’07

BUTUAN CITY - The Department of Public Works and Highways Caraga regional office here announced that Butuan’s P2.2-B second bridge will be open to public on the second week of April. The construction of the P2.2-B Butuan second bridge, funded through soft loan by the Philippine Government to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), was initiated because of the danger posed by the weakening of the first bridge as traffic volume increased over the years. The first bridge was built during the administration of then President Ramon Magsaysay and upon its completion in 1960, was named Magsaysay Bridge. DPWH Caraga regional director Engineer Romeo Momo told GMAnews.TV that the second bridge to be completed by April this year will be the main crossing across Agusan River to connect the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway or the Agusan-Surigao Davao Road and the Butuan City –Iligan- Cagayan de Oro Highway. Momo said workers are now finishing the rectification of the viaduct abutment no. 2 for embankment settlement as they are scheduled to finish it by April. The new bridge used Japanese technology earthquake-proof capabilities consisting of 300 meters steel cable stayed main bridge with concrete tower and steel plate girder on a steel pipe pile foundation. The project also includes the construction of eleven kilometers bypass road, the 1.33 kilometers Maguinda-Las Nieves Road and the 2.9 kilometers Barangays Bonbon-Libertad, all in Butuan City. The P2.2-B second Butuan Bridge project is funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation and under the contract of Japanese firms Nippon Steel and TOA Construction. "Practically motorists from cities and provinces of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Surigao passing Butuan City will soon be relieved from traffic woes and enjoy the comfort of one of the longest bridge and one of its kind in Mindanao as it will be passable by second week of April," Momo said. - Alvin Guanzon, GMANews.TV