Trucks now allowed to cross San Juanico
TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allowed vehicles with a gross weight of up to 30 tons to cross the San Juanico Bridge, easing earlier restrictions and drawing praise from the business sector, while maintaining strict traffic controls to ensure the safety of the 52-year-old structure.
In an advisory issued on Wednesday, the DPWH regional office in Eastern Visayas said that the revised load limit took effect immediately but would be implemented under a regulated traffic scheme.
Trucks weighing up to 30 tons are only permitted to cross the bridge from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., on a one-way-at-a-time basis and are required to use only a single lane.
The agency also reminded motorists to observe a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour and to maintain a minimum distance of 40 meters between vehicles while crossing.
The move increases the previous 15-ton load limit, which was officially announced by President Marcos during his visit on Monday, following assessments that the bridge could safely accommodate heavier vehicles under controlled conditions.
The decision was welcomed by the local business community, which had raised concerns over the impact of the restrictions on the movement of goods and economic activity in Eastern Visayas.
Wilson Uy, former regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tacloban-Leyte Inc., said the adjustment would help improve logistics without compromising public safety.
‘Timely move’
“This is a timely move that will help improve the flow of goods and support the local economy of Eastern Visayas, while ensuring safety through strict guidelines and monitoring,” Uy, who is also a member of the Leyte provincial board, told the Inquirer on Thursday.
Earlier, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said local officials had proposed to the President that 30-ton vehicles be allowed to cross the 2.16-km bridge, provided the passage was limited to a single lane.
Load restrictions were imposed on the San Juanico Bridge in May this year allowing only 3-ton vehicles after inspections revealed structural defects in the bridge, which was opened in 1973 and serves as a vital link between Samar and Leyte islands, and the rest of the country.
Retrofitting and strengthening works on the bridge are still ongoing.
Vehicles weighing more than 30 tons remain prohibited from crossing and are still required to use alternative routes, including seaport facilities at Amandayehan in Basey, Samar, with roll on, roll-off transport to the port in Tacloban City, Leyte.
Originally designed with a 33-ton load capacity, the San Juanico Bridge accommodates an average of about 14,000 vehicles daily, around 1,400 of which fall under the previously restricted weight categories.
