The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has opened the 2 opposing lanes of Loay’s new Clarin Bridge temporarily starting on Friday, June 10, 2022, in time for the town fiesta and for a dry run.
This was confirmed by DPWH 3rd District Engineer Magiting Cruz in a telephone interview on
Friday, June 10, 2022.
He said the opening of the 2 lanes of the bridge will last until the end of the town’s fiesta celebration which is on Monday, June 13, 2022.
The opening of the 2 lanes will also provide an opportunity for the contractor to look for potential issues that can be immediately addressed.
Cruz said that even buses and cargo trucks are allowed passage through the bridge for the meantime.
The district engineer admitted that Loay mayor Hilario Ayuban requested the agency to open the
2 lanes of the bridge as the town celebrates its fiesta on June 12, 2022.
“Open siya ngayon [Friday] hanggang matapos ang fiesta ng Loay,” he told The Bohol Tribune.
“Dry run na din ito to detect if may problems at na kaagad,” Cruz added.
Cruz said that the traffic at the bridge will shift back to 1 lane until the official inauguration of the bridge.
He bared that the tentative schedule of the inauguration of the bridge will be on June 17, 2022.
He bared, too, that there is no word yet who will be the guest of honor on the inauguration of the bridge.
Previously, only 1 lane of the bridge was opened to traffic as heavy vehicles are not allowed to pass through the bridge.
The partial closure and prohibition were due to the cementing of the bridge’s approaches.
Loay’s new Clarin Bridge is only the second Nielsen-type bridge in the country.
It was partially opened on May 6, 2022, after the oldone collapsed on April 27, 2022 where at least 4 people died in the tragedy.