Residents grumble as work starts on Tullahan again

Residents in Valenzuela City are grumbling again over the partial closure of Tullahan Bridge for another round of repair work, radio dzBB reported Friday. As of Friday morning, workers started dismantling some parts of the bridge's asphalted approach, where cracks started to appear mere days after the bridge was reopened to traffic last month. "Bagong luma (It's just another old excuse)," the report quoted many of the residents as saying about the closure of the bridge. Last month, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) insisted the cracks at the newly reopened Tullahan Bridge that have caused Valenzuela City officials to worry were "normal." DPWH engineer Angelito Twaño said the cracks stemmed from water from the river underneath seeping through the bridge's structure, and thus, no cause for worry. Twaño said this is "normal" and should not be taken to mean the bridge is unstable or defective. Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian had voiced fears the bridge would do more harm than good because of the cracks, which he said may indicate defects in the bridge. Gatchalian cited information reaching him that the cracks started to appear at the approach to the Tullahan Bridge days after the DPWH opened it to traffic. Earlier, radio dzBB reported that the cracks and uneven approach threaten to damage vehicles that approach the bridge at high speeds. In some cases, buses that pass the bridge had experienced trouble after the wheels got stuck on the relatively soft approach of the bridge. The bridge had been closed and partially opened, then closed again this year. On October 16, the DPWH blamed a faulty drainage system for deciding to close anew the Tullahan Bridge in northern Metro Manila. Department engineers claimed the current drainage system was unable to handle enough water when the Tullahan River overflows rises during high tide. The last closure of Tullahan infuriated Valenzuela City Rep. Rex Gatchalian, who said he will question DPWH officials over the mess. - GMANews.TV