DPWH to put up signs for Ayala Bridge closure

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will install signs to guide motorists to alternate routes they could take during the month-long closure of the Ayala Bridge starting tomorrow.

In a statement issued yesterday, the DPWH advised motorists and commuters to use the following roads: España Boulevard, A.H. Lacson, President Quirino Avenue, United Nations Avenue, Ayala Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Bustillos and Legarda streets, P. Casal Extension, Claro M. Recto Avenue, Dapitan, Carlos Palanca Sr., Quezon Boulevard, Plaza Sta. Cruz, Carriedo, Padre Burgos, Andalucia and Lerma.

The DPWH said the bridge will be closed from tomorrow until April 20 so the structure can be rehabilitated. The bridge will be raised by .7 meters so passing vessels would no longer hit its underside during high tide.

The DPWH has yet to set a date when it would lift the Ayala Bridge, which would entail barring boats from passing underneath the bridge for 48 hours.

The Ayala Bridge is among the structures that cross the Pasig River.

From April 21 to June 14, the bridge’s east side will be closed and the DPWH will allow only northbound vehicles. Its west side will be closed from June 15 to July 20 and only northbound vehicles are allowed to pass.

Trucks and buses will not be allowed to pass during the partial opening, the DPWH said.

These improvements would also make the bridge earthquake-resistant.

DPWH-National Capital Region project supervisor Ricardo de Vera, when asked why the agency did not destroy the existing bridge and build a new one, said the National Historical Commission of the Philippines reportedly disapproved this proposal.

The DPWH has been working on the bridge’s rehabilitation since May last year and plans to complete the project by July 23. It hired Frey-Fil Corp. and EEI Corp., with a budget of P447.9 million, to do the project.