SABANGAN, Mountain Province – The First Mountain Province District Engineering Office (FMDEO) disclosed the construction of the bridge sheet and the subsequent installation of the temporary detour bailey bridge will be completed in a month to allow motorists to travel in and out of the province without being trapped in both sides of the Chico river due to continuous heavy afternoon downpours.
Engr. Wilbur Likigan, FMDEO district engineer, said the works for the construction of the bridge sheet was already awarded to the winning contractor while FMDEO personnel will be working on the assembly of the baily panels that will be placed over the constructed bridge sheet.
While the construction of the bridge sheet is underway, he revealed motorists will have to temporarily use the river bed to reach their desired destinations inside and outside the province but they must exercise extreme precautions in maneuvering in the said river.
“4-wheel drive vehicles and those with high clearances are the ones allowed to cross the river because the backfill is still loose, thus, motorists should not force the issue because they might add up to the problems being encountered in the area. We need the support of everyone so that we can complete the detour bridge the soonest to prevent most parts of the province from being isolated,” Likigan stressed.
The district engineer explained the elevation of the base of the bridge sheet is at least one meter above the recorded highest flood elevation at the height of SupertyphoonLawin to make sure that it will not again be carried away by the rampaging waters of the river during the wet season.
According to him, motorists have to bear with the existing situation to cross the river using 4-wheel drive vehicles or those with high clearances to prevent them from being stranded in both sides of the river and for them to reach their desired destinations.
He described the detour bridge to have a length of 36 meters that requires the use of 13 to 14 bailey panels taken from the different district offices in the region with extra bailey panels and such panels will be returned to the source once the permanent bridge structure will be completed in a year’s time.
Likigan explained the FMDEO understands the predicament of motorists having to transfer from one side of the road to the opposite side just for them to reach their desired destinations but the public should also understand their current situation although there is already an assurance that the detour bridge will be completed in a month after the successful bidding for the said works.
Gov. BonifacioLacwasan, Jr. was able to convince the affected land owners whose properties will be traversed by the detour bridge project to allow their properties to be temporarily taken by the agency for the meantime because it will be their honor and pride to have been instrumental in ensuring smooth travel in and out of the province which the people will surely treasure.
By HENT
