P100 million needed for vital Kapangan bridge

By March Fianza

KAPANGAN Benguet -- Planners representing the central office of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Japan International Cooperation Agency recently told Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan that the Salacop bridge in Kapangan, Benguet would require a replacement worth some P100 million.

During an on-site inspection last Sept. 24, DPWH engineers and JICA consultants also informed Cosalan that the agency has to re-apply for a new loan for a longer and bigger bridge to replace the damaged infrastructure.

The modern Salacop Bridge, one of the newly constructed bridges built by the Tojo Construction of Japan was opened to traffic for barely more than a month when it was brought down by super typhoon Pepeng, October of last year.

Cosalan, committee chair for public infrastructure in Congress however, learned that they would have to wait for about two years for soil experts to finish their study concerning natural earth movement and ground stability in that road section.

The vital bridge connects Tublay and Kapangan to Kibungan, Bakun and to the rest of the vegetable-producing towns of Northern Benguet and Mountain Province.

While the bridge was known to have been built with strong imported material as it stayed in one piece after it fell, JICA engineers noted that the bridge’s ground foundations and abutments collapsed.

The bridge inspection at Salacop, Kapangan was also joined by a representative of Mayor Robert Canuto who was out on an official business, DPWH-Benguet Eng. Dist 02 chief Dominador Daway and officials of barangays Beling-Belis and Balakbak.

Meanwhile, DPWH has an insurance collection of P30m for the damaged bridge considering that it was within the warranty period when it fell.

“But the money will be used for civil works within the Kapangan road line, and to help stabilize the slopes around the Salacop area,” Cosalan clarified.

“Aside from that, DPWH can also recover re-usable material from the damaged bridge as these were imported from Japan,” he added.

The Tublay-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun road network serves as an interior alternate route for farmer-businessmen and commuters to and from the north everytime Halsema Highway closes down due to natural calamities. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com