The Department of Public Works and Highways has re-opened to vehicular traffic the bailey bridge along Butuan City - Talacogon - Loreto - Veruela - Sta. Fe National secondary road in Agusan del Sur that partially collapsed yesterday (June 20, 2014).
DPWH Region 13 Director Danilo Verzola reported that emergency repair works by the mobilized DPWH manpower and equipment at the Tagabaka bridge were completed and made passable to all types of vehicles as of 11 pm of the same day (June 20, 2014) after the incident involving heavy loaded truck caused a portion of bailey bridge to fail.
The bailey bridge has a capacity of only five (5) tons but cargo trucks including those carrying falcata logs passes along that route, said Verzola.
Overloaded trucks are even threatening the structural integrity of Wawa steel bridge along Butuan - Davao Road because their loads usually bump the bottom chord of that bridge, reported Verzola.
"Despite repeated warnings, these overloaded trucks continue not to comply," said Verzola. We even placed an outpost there, but due to the reported presence of unlawful elements in the area, we cannot guard the bridge, 24/7," he said.