Still no detour for Igpit-Opol

Motorists will have to bear with the slow moving traffic along Opol-Igpit bridge a little longer as there are no alternative routes where vehicles can utilize to bypass the bridge under construction, a public works official said.

Department of Public Works and Highways-Northern Mindanao (DPWH-10) information officer Vinah Maghinay said UKC Builders proposed alternate route was thumbed down by DPWH engineers as this would not be passable to all types of vehicles.

“Naay mga proposals pro dli siya recommendable according sa amo mga engineers ky dli siya feasible ug di pud siya passable sa tanan klase sa sakyanan (There are proposals but they are not recommendable according to our engineers, if there are indeed areas, these are not passable to all kinds of vehicles),” Maghinay said.

“If ayuhon pud siya para maagian, mauna pag kahuman ang tulay ayha matarong ang katong mga gi propose na routes (If we will fix these alternative routes, by that time however, the bridge is already passable),” she added.

The Igpit Bridge project in Opol town, Misamis Oriental is already 79 percent complete and will be finished this April barring untoward incidents, Maghinay quoted the contractor as saying.

The construction of the bridge is being done in a progressive approach, she said, since funding is released ‘phase by phase’.

“This is also to allow continuous flow of the traffic since there is no other route to be utilized to redirect the incoming and outgoing motoring public,” she said.

It can be recalled that the Igpit bridge was damaged by rains last March 7 causing traffic congestion in the area.

The DPWH-10 said it collapsed due to water saturation caused by water pipe leakage and heavy rainfall.

On March 9, the bridge was declared passable however a truck ban for heavy-loaded trucks is implemented in the bridge to prevent another collapse while the construction is ongoing.

To date, Maghinay said the existing twolane bridge was demolished to widen and make into 6 lanes, while the bridge is elevated by about 3.50 meter from the existing grade line to ensure flood won’t enter the bridge.

The Opol bridge, on the other hand, is 75 percent accomplished and is expected to be completed this May.

Concerned agencies, Maghinay said, is deploying additional men to augment the contractor’s workforce in regulating traffic flow approaching the site.

She said a 24/7 working schedule is being followed to assure round-the-clock monitoring and operation.