Guadalupe bridge repair to start in October

THE Department of Public Works and Highways will start repair works on the Guadalupe Bridge linking Makati and Mandaluyong this October, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

MMDA chief Romando Artes said the repair works will focus first on the two outer lanes of the bridge after the construction of a temporary bridge that motorists can use.

“Until the temporary bridge is completed, no closure will be implemented. Only the two outer lanes, the lanes outside the red lines, will be closed. The inner lanes of EDSA Guadalupe will not be affected,” Artes said in a press briefing at the MMDA headquarters.

Artes said the agency expects the preliminary work by the DPWH to start in January next year, adding the construction of the temporary bridge will take around 10 months.

He added the repair works are expected to be completed in 17 months.

Artes said there is a need to repair the bridge after inspections showed that parts of the structure are “vulnerable to seismic activity.”

“The structure of the outer bridge has also deteriorated. There are also cracks,” Artes said, adding the repair is part of the overall preparations by the government for the Big One.

Early this month, Artes said the repair of the Guadalupe bridge was in the planning stages.

The DPWH previously said it would not start with the much-needed retrofitting of the Guadalupe bridge without the establishment of extension lanes on EDSA to ease the expected traffic congestion.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency earlier warned that the West Valley Fault is long overdue and could trigger an earthquake of up to magnitude 7 at any time.

Artes assured the public that the repair works would not affect the operations of the Pasig River Ferry service.

“There is no effect insofar as the use of Pasig River is concerned,” Artes said.