The state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority
(BCDA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced
recently that they are exploring the possibility of placing a Bailey bridge
along the damaged part of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). The bridge
is eyed as a temporary solution to the damage until the portion can be restored
to its original state.
But what exactly is a Bailey bridge?
A Bailey bridge is defined as a “portable, pre-fabricated,
truss bridge.” Tracing its roots back to World War II, the Bailey bridge was developed
by the British and designed by a British War Office civil servant by the name
of Donald Bailey. It was originally used for military purposes and has since
been used to provide temporary crossing for pedestrians and vehicles as well as
in civil engineering construction projects.
A Bailey bridge over the Meurthe River in France. Source: Wikipedia (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/PontBailey.jpg/800px-PontBailey.jpg)
Now that we already have a brief background of the bridge,
is it actually feasible for SCTEX?
Below are several points detailing why the Bailey bridge is
the best option for the damaged Pasig-Potrero Bridge of SCTEX.
The Bailey bridge is easy
to assemble and transport. Made of easily accessible materials such as
timber and steel, this bridge’s greatest advantage among other designs is the
fact that it requires very minimal aid from heavy equipment and practically no
special tools. The materials are small and light enough to be carried in trucks
and lifted by hand without using cranes.
Because the bridge takes much less time and effort to
construct, this means that it wouldn’t take long before the Pasig-Potrero
Bridge of SCTEX becomes passable again. Motorists won’t need to take alternate
routes and can immediately go back to their SCTEX routines.
Despite the ease and speed of construction, this does not
mean that the bridge is unsafe. In fact, the Bailey bridge is very sturdy and safe. The most significant basis for this claim
is the fact that it has long been relied on for military operations. It can
support pedestrians and light vehicles. But if fortified for added strength,
the bridge can even support tanks.
Lastly, it is simply a
reliable temporary solution. With many people depending on the SCTEX for
their travels, BCDA wants to ensure that motorists won’t have to endure longer
travel time through other routes. BCDA is keen on restoring the convenience and
safety that SCTEX has provided. And until the damaged portion is restored, the
Bailey bridge is the next best solution, at least for the time being.
If anything, we aren’t complete strangers to Bailey bridges.
There are already quite a few of it around the country.
A Bailey bridge in San Joaquin in Western Visayas. Photo by Eulogio
Empio (http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/79540616.jpg)
A Bailey bridge in Sto. Niño,
Batangas City. Photo by Cesar Cambay (http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/27753457.jpg)
We’ve seen it work. And if these bridges can stand strong
amid a war, then it can certainly provide at least a functional and safe,
albeit temporary, way for people and vehicles to get across, right?
Sources:
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