DPWH to open new Loay, Bohol bridge to 2-way traffic in June

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday said it is targeting to open to two-way traffic the new bridge in Loay, Bohol next month.

In a statement, the DPWH said it is finishing the access ramps for the new Clarin Bridge to allow a two-way traffic scheme by June 7, 2022.

Citing a report from Undersecretary and Build, Build, Build chief implementer Emil Sadain, the Public Works department said the construction of approach road for the new Clarin Bridge has reached the final stage with on-going laying of bituminous asphalt concrete finish after undergoing full compaction of base materials.

The new bridge in Barangay Poblacion Ubos, Loay crossing Loboc River is designed as a Nielsen Arch bridge spanning 104 meters with an approach roads at abutment “A” of 208 meters and at abutment “B” of 217 meters, according to the DPWH.

The agency said that in response to the unfortunate collapse of the parallel old Clarin Bridge on April 27, 2022, the DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) in cooperation with the DPWH Regional Office 7 and the District Engineering Offices in Bohol have worked immediately open the new Clarin Bridge into a one-lane traffic scheme to light vehicles.

The old bridge was built in the 1970s and was among the infrastructure affected by the 7.2-magnitude quake that jolted Bohol in 2013, the DPWH said.

Meanwhile, the Clarin Bridge replacement project costing P462 million is part of the Bohol Circumferential Road contract package 3 under the DPWH Road Upgrading and Preservation Projects (RUPP) funded through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan deal.

“All equipment and personnel are in full-force working double time to open the bridge into two-way traffic the soonest possible time," said Sadain.

Apart from providing safe, economical, and reliable mobility of people, goods and services, the new Clarin Bridge is seen to further boost the tourism industry of the island province of Bohol in Central Visayas, according to the DPWH.—AOL, GMA News