DPWH urged to act on Tullahan Bridge problem

Valenzuela City Rep. Rex Gatchalian urged yesterday the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to immediately check on the eroding approaches of the Tullahan Bridge, which motorists blame for the heavy buildup of traffic on MacArthur Highway.

“I am calling on the DPWH to immediately look into the matter, for the Tullahan Bridge construction had already caused a lot of suffering for the people of Valenzuela and, barely six months after its opening, here it comes again,” Gatchalian told The STAR.

Gatchalian said the contractor, R.C. Ramos Construction, should be held liable for the disintegrating portions of the bridge, which sits between Malabon and Valenzuela cities.

“The present condition of the bridge only validated my earlier pronouncements that materials used in its construction were sub-standard,” he said.

Gatchalian also called on the DPWH to blacklist the bridge’s contractor.

A 15-meter stretch of exposed gravel on the Malabon City side of the bridge approach and potholes on either side force motorists to slow down before reaching the bridge itself.

A Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcer, manning traffic on Tullahan Bridge, said road diggings by the Maynilad Water Services Inc. compounded the problem.

He said that establishments near the bridge also complained about dust from the eroded approaches of the bridge.

The DPWH and the MMDA were the lead government agencies tasked to monitor the construction of the Tullahan Bridge, which was postponed several times due to technicalities and alleged anomalies. The bridge was completed last November. – Pete Laude