DPWH assures funding for fallen Piggatan Bridge in Cagayan

The Department of Public Works and Highways will fund the reconstruction of the fallen Piggatan Bridge in Alcala, Cagayan as soon as possible, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said Tuesday.

Dizon was referring to the critical bridge which collapsed on Monday, October 6, apparently due to overloaded trucks which passed the bridge which only had a limit of 18 metric tons.

“We will look for funds for the bridge’s reconstruction under this year’s budget or under the 2026 budget. At the very least, we need a temporary bridge built there very soon,” Dizon said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

“The DPWH will shoulder the funding here. This is a critical bridge as this is the lone bridge connecting Tuguegarao to the rest of northern Cagayan up to Aparri, and the province is one of the country’s food baskets,” Dizon added.

Dizon then disclosed that he will visit the site of the fallen bridge tomorrow, October 8.

“We need to find out ways on how to reconstruct the bridge as soon as possible, and I will be on site tomorrow to talk to our engineers on the ground and the province's governor, Edgar Aglipay, for us to know what really happened here,” Dizon said.

Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Ruel Rapsing, for his part, said that the bridge is indeed beyond repair and needs immediate reconstruction.

“It cannot be repaired, there needs to be new construction,” Rapsing also said in a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview.

Rapsing also said that there were four trucks which passed by the bridge when it collapsed, not three as initially reported.

“There were four trucks. They are loaded but I am not sure of the total load number,” Rapsing said.

“It was retrofitted around 2022 to 2023, and delivery trucks usually pass there because it is a major highway,” Rapsing added.

Several motorists got stranded after the bridge collapsed on Monday, according to a report on 24 Oras.

Following the incident, the DPWH advised the public to take the alternate routes via  Jct. Gattaran – Cumao – Capissayan – Sta. Margarita Bolos Point Road to Baybayog – Baggao – Sta. Margarita Road (and vice versa). —KG, GMA Integrated News