Mayor assails bridge opening

Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian assailed again the officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways for the premature opening yesterday of the still uncompleted Tullahan Bridge along Macarthur Highway at the boundary of Valenzuela and Malabon despite six long months of construction.

DPWH officials were apparently pressured by their own deadline to complete the bridge along MacArthur Highway by Oct. 15 after flip-flopping for several occasions and the bridge was partially opened to light vehicles.

Gatchalian denounced government engineers for prematurely opening the bridge to traffic that had compromised the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

“Let’s do it properly,” said an irked Gatchalian as he insisted on closing the bridge until the project is totally completed.

Some 78 laborers were still working to stabilize the soft elevated portion of the highway at the north and south approaches of the 42-meter long bridge.

DPWH officials appealed to the public to exercise  more patience over the delay of the P63-million project.   – Jerry Botial, Edu Punay