Nueva Ecija bridge completed

CABANATUAN CITY – A 560-linear meter long concrete bridge – considered the longest bridge in Nueva Ecija – has been completed in Barangay Sumacab this city.

Named the Mayor Cesar Vergara Bridge, the structure was funded by the city government at a cost of P142.9 million.

Mayor Jay Vergara, son of the late mayor, said that the three-lane bridge at a width of 10.4 meters is also the widest in the province.

The bridge was constructed by F.F. Cruz & Co., Inc. in a record time of only 11 months, much earlier than the contract schedule of 18 months.

It was finished faster than the 40-linear meter bridge in San Miguel, Bulacan and the 240-linear meter Bato Ferry bridge in Laur, Nueva Ecija which were completed in two years.

Felipe Cruz, FFCCI president, told The STAR that the Cesar Vergara bridge is the "largest bridge we have ever come across involving an LGU (local government unit)."

The new bridge, the eight bridge constructed under the Vergara administration, will exit through the San Miguel Na Munti in nearby Talavera town.

Cruz said that the new bridge, which has a projected life span of 50 years, would ease traffic going to the North and decongest the busy Valdefuente Bridge along the Maharlika Highway.

"As you can see, the only access right now to Cagayan Valley is through the Valdefuente Bridge. If the bridge gets some problems, it becomes single lane and it delays travel time by two to three hours," he said.

Cruz said that based on a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), at least 50,000 vehicles pass the Valdefuente Bridge daily.

Vergara said that the city government will collect toll fees amounting to P20 per vehicle to generate income. "At a rate of P20 per vehicle, it is equivalent to P200,000 for 10,000 vehicles," he said.

He said that local government units (LGUs) may collect toll fees for bridges it itself has financed without seeking prior approval from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) as provided for under Section 155 of the Local Government Code.

According to Cruz, with the toll the city government will recover its investments in five years.

The bridge is part of the high-impact infrastructure development program of the Vergara administration to lay the support base for the entry of more investors to the city.