Ang Pahayagan

ZAMBALES – The Department of Public Works and Highways here closed the Carael Steel Bridge located at Barangay Carael, in the municipality of Botolan to all heavy trucks , trailers and buses.

Engineer Hermon Ines, district engineer of the Zambales 2nd DEO, said that the closure will be temporary and that heavy vehicles and buses are required to take the alternate road, which is beside the steel bridge.

He said that the steel bridge is due for retrofitting after it was damaged last month. The load capacity of the steel bridge is 10 tons as imposed by the DPWH to avert accidents that may incurred.

Last month, it nearly collapsed and was closed to all types of vehicle for few days. The DPWH had put up a detour road beside the bridge for use of heavy vehicles such as dump trucks, trailers and long beds which carry ashes from Masinloc town.

Ines said that the allowed weights placed at the front of the bridge were not followed by some drivers who are beating deadlines. Only light vehicles such as cars, jeeps, tricycles and the likes can pass through the steel bridge.

The Carael Steel Bridge was temporarily constructed after a flash flood caused by a typhoon destroyed the national highway in that area and was unpassable for almost three weeks in August 8, 2009. The DPWH Iba is set to replace the steel bridge with a concrete one once the budget will be released from the national government.