MANILA — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar with Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. and Congressman Arthur Yap headed on Friday the ceremonial groundbreaking of the PHP445.77-million new Clarin Bridge in Loay, Bohol Province.
The construction of the 104 lineal meters structure with a nielsen arch type design is part of the Bohol Circumferential Road Contract Package 3 under the DPWH Road Upgrading and Preservation Projects funded by a loan agreement between the Philippines and Japan through JICA.
It will replace the old bridge which was badly damaged by the October 2013 earthquake that hit the Central Visayas.
DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 1 will closely supervise the implementation of the two -lane bridge project awarded to Vicente T. Lao Construction in partnership with Indonesia’s PT Wijaya Karya. The project also covers the construction of approach roads with a total length of 425 lineal meters.
In a statement, DPWH Project Director Virgilio Castillo said the actual civil works activities would immediately commence and work is expected to be completed within 18 months or by September 2019.
Aside from providing safe, economical and reliable mobility of people, goods and services, the new Clarin bridge will further boost the tourism industry of the island province of Bohol in Central Visayas.
Other key persons present during the groundbreaking ceremony included DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) representative Keisuki Fukui, Embassy of Indonesia to the Philippines representative Ibu Budi Dewayante, Bohol Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, Loay Mayor Rochelle Brigitte Lim Imboy, Special Envoy to China Fernando Selim Borja together with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, DPWH Region 7 Director Ador Canlas, and Bohol 1st District Engineer Francis Antonio Flores. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
