NLEX starts repair of Candaba Viaduct
The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. has started repairing the Candaba Viaduct, a trade route between Metro Manila and Central Luzon, after showing signs of deterioration that could pose danger to motorists.
According to engineering consultant AMH Philippines, the southbound lane of Candaba Viaduct has to be limited to light vehicles only to make way for its rehabilitation.
The firm tapped by NLEX Corp. to examine the integrity of Candaba Viaduct said the bridge traversing the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga is nearing its fatigue life of 50 years.
AMH director Roy Luna said aging infrastructure like the Candaba Viaduct tend to lose strength over time. Likewise, their capacity to bear weight gets compromised when they are put through sustained pressure from bulky units.
“The first factor is aging (because) just like people, aged structures lose their strength over time. Also, subjecting the bridge to heavy load more than what the bridge was designed for is causing continuous cyclical fatigue stress,” Luna said.
“Here in the Philippines, the usual fatigue life of bridges is 50 years to 60 years, and the viaduct is nearing that mark,” he added. After carrying out structural studies, AMH recommended that NLEX restrict the use of the southbound side of Candaba Viaduct to vehicles with up to 10 wheels only and must weigh less than 33 tons.
AMH also asked NLEX to speed up the repair of the infrastructure so that the damage will be contained in one area, preventing it from spreading across other parts of the expressway.
Last week NLEX started prohibiting 12-wheeler trucks from using the southbound lane of Candaba Viaduct until safety upgrades to the five-kilometer bridge are completed. It directed 12-wheeler trucks to take alternate routes for the meantime.
Under its temporary traffic rerouting, NLEX offers diverted trucks two options on how to reach their destinations. However, it reminded truck drivers to observe the window hours in the temporary roads, both of which require passing through multiple towns in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.
NLEX president and CEO J. Luigi Bautista symphathizes with the plight of truckers who have to take the long road just to get to Metro Manila, but stressed the need to fix the Candaba Viaduct to ensure the safety of the driving public.
“While truckers, who serve as lifeline maintaining supply chains, play a key role in the economy, the rerouting plan aims to balance the interests of both the economy and public safety given the urgency and need to repair the structure,” Bautista said.