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The Department of Public Works and Highways has laid out a catch-up plan to ensure that San Juanico Bridge’s load limit is increased from the current 3 tons to 12–15 tons on or before the December 2025 target completion date
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The ongoing portal shoring works beneath the bridge, which have reached 20.60% completion, are designed to temporarily increase load capacity while ensuring public safety
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Once completed, the shoring works are considered the most practical and fastest option to safely achieve the 12–15 tons load capacity target within the year
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has laid out a catch-up plan to ensure San Juanico Bridge’s load limit is increased from the current three tons to 12–15 tons on or before the December 2025 target completion date.
The ongoing portal shoring works beneath the bridge, which have reached 20.60% completion, will temporarily increase load capacity while ensuring public safety.
Once completed, the shoring works being undertaken by the DPWH and participating contractors are considered the most practical and fastest option to safely achieve the 12–15 tons load capacity target within the year, the department said in a statement.
The shoring activities are separate from the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, which will commence once the P520 million allocation from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) is released.
To allow the immediate continuation of works beyond those covered by the NDRRMF-funded rehabilitation project, DPWH Region VIII also requested an additional P651.821 million fund for other needed repairs.
Precautionary measures remain strictly in place, including the enforcement of a 3-ton load limit, 24/7 monitoring, one-way traffic control, checkpoints, gantries, and coordination with the Traffic Management Committee.
“The united effort of DPWH, the national government, partner agencies, and stakeholders underscores a shared urgency to keep the San Juanico Bridge safe, operational, and on track for full capacity restoration,” DPWH said.
The DPWH last May implemented a 3-ton vehicle weight limit on the 2.16-kilometer bridge, which serves as the only permanent land link between the islands of Samar and Leyte, to make way for the bridge’s rehabilitation.
The weight restriction on San Juanico bridge has affected connectivity between the provinces of Leyte and Samar, disrupting passenger and cargo traffic between the regions.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. had earlier ordered the expedited retrofitting and restoration of San Juanico Bridge and to increase the bridge’s current 3-ton load limit to 12 tons by December.
