The state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it is now studying the option of puttinga Bailey bridge with the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as a remedial measure to make the damagedportion of Pasig-Potrero Bridge of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)accessible within days to light vehicles.
“DPWH Secretary Singson and I had discussed the matter and the BCDA andDPWH engineers are working on it already,” BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova said as he assuredthe public that the Pasig-Potrero Bridge is structurally safe and withstood thestrong lahar currents.
A Bailey bridge is a typeof portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. One advantage of a Bailey bridge is that it does not require specialtools or heavy equipment to construct.
Casanova reiterated thestate-run agency’s commitment to the bridge repair, saying that “the safety andwelfare of our countrymen is always our main concern, that is why the BCDA willmake doubly sure that the repairs will proceed smoothly and quickly, and thattemporary rerouting of vehicles will be done systematically. Getting SCTEX backto 100 percent is a top priority for the BCDA,” he said.
The strong river currentinitiated by the heavy downpour during theheight of Typhoon Maring set off amassive erosion of up to ten hectares ofland from the banks of the Pasig-Potrero river that caused the damage to aportion of the SCTEX.
According to Engr. JoshuaBingcang, BCDA project manager for SCTEX, strong river currents caused acombination of lahar and water to divert from the river channel and erode theembankment of the SCTEX Pasig-Potrero bridge. He said the river current is still expanding theerosion in the area.
Adjacent farmlands as muchas 1-km long and 100-m wide were lost to the river, paving the way for therampaging lahar and water to slam into the bridge’s southern abutment,ultimately resulting in its erosion last Monday afternoon.
Satellite photos fromGoogle taken before the typhoon confirm that up to ten hectares of land had disappeared from theriverbank during the onslaught of Maring.
“Bridge abutments aretypically engineered to be supported by soil, particularly the embankment.Unlike a bridge’s pillars, abutments are not meant to be pounded by rampaging lahar.Unfortunately, an inordinate amount of the surrounding land continues to erode,”he added.
Bingcang also noted thatthe incident was highly unusual, with no other instance of massive riverbankerosion reported in the country during the typhoon. He also stressed that thebridge itself was engineered to withstand rampaging river currents, noting thatonly the approach, and not the bridge itself, was damaged.
Bingcang also said thatrepairs on the bridge will commence as soon as the weather clears. “Togetherwith DPWH, we have already an initial assessment of the damage and we have already come up with remedial measures tomake sure that the closed segment will be open to motorists at the shortestpossible time,” he explained.
Alternate Routes
The affected portion ofSCTEX from Clark South going to Porac remains closed for the meantime tomotorists, but the Clark-Tarlac section is open to all vehicles.
Motorists coming fromManila or Tarlac going to Subic/Tipo, are advised to exit at the Clark SouthInterchange then take the Clark Friendship-Manibaug Road going to PoracInterchange (to enter SCTEX).
Meanwhile, motorists fromSubic/Tipo going to Tarlac or Manila may exit at Porac Interchange then takethe Manibaug-Friendship Road going to Clark South Interchange (to enter SCTEX).
For traffic updates, youmay call the SCTEX hotline at 0920-96SCTEX or 3-5000.
Reference:
SCTEX Spokesperson:
ENGR. JOSHUABINGCANG
Project Manager,SCTEX Services Department
Mobile 0917-8039429
Public AffairsDepartment:
Ms. LeilaniBarlongay-Macasaet
Mobile No.0908-8998578
Mr. Roy Victor R.Rosales
Mobile No.0917-858292
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