TRAFFIC due to ongoing bridge work is back at Opol with motorists complaining of being stuck in snail-paced traffic Wednesday, April 5.
The traffic build-up followed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Northern Mindanao announcement that only one lane of Igpit bridge, is presently under construction, was passable from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday.
A similar scenario will be implemented Thursday, April 6, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. to facilitate the installation of the bridge's girder.
A girder is the main horizontal support of the bridge.
Vinah Maghinay, DPWH-Northern Mindanao spokesperson, said the installation will mean slow-moving traffic along the area but said they hope to cause lesser hassle as the construction will be done from night until dawn.
Maghinay said the contractor committed to finish the installation by April 6 but the allocated timeline of the work is from April 5 until April 8.
"The girder will be placed and then after that, the putting of the concrete slab will follow," she said.
"We are really sorry for the inconvenience but we are doing this to finally get the job done in the bridge. So we advise the motorists to follow and obey the personnel who are manning the traffic flow in the area, and let us keep our cool," she said.
"We also advise those who have early flights to give at least 1-2 hours allowance to get to the airport," Maghinay added.
In the meantime, a “stop and go” scheme will be implemented from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Also, the truck ban is still in effect on the bridge.
All trucks weighing beyond 20 tons are only allowed to pass the bridge from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. everyday.
The approach to the same bridge collapsed last March 7 causing heavy traffic which lasted two days.
The DPWH-Northern Mindanao also thumbed down proposals for an alternate route while the construction is ongoing.
Maghinay said the proposed routes are not passable to all kinds of vehicles and said making these alternate routes passable entails more work than just concentrating on finishing work on the bridge.
Maghinay said the DPWH has not found any feasible route for all types of vehicles.
Meanwhile, journalist Froilan Gallardo who was travelling to Cagayan de Oro from Iligan City Wednesday, said he was caught in slow-moving traffic for about an hour.
Gallardo said it took him about an hour to travel from Luyong Bonbon village, Opol town, to the bridge in Igpit.
He said he got in Luyong Bonbon in 5 p.m. but only reached the bridge by about 6 p.m.
