BUTUAN CITY – The government has allotted some P48,161,187.83 for the rehabilitation of the 50-year-old Magsaysay Bridge that connects this city to the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, and Davao.

According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineering Office (DEO) District Engineer Nicolas O. Alameda, the main objective of the rehabilitation work on the 220.16 linear meters Magsaysay Bridge which started Tuesday is to strengthen its sub-structures.

Magsaysay Bridge is believed to be the oldest bridge in Northeastern and Northern Mindanao regions.

Part of the rehabilitation work is the removal and replacement of the four girders block of the existing bridge pavement and setting up drive and dike files, including setting up of armor rock files of the A and B sides of the bridge.

Starting Monday, all six-wheeler trucks and above are being re-routed to the southwestern side of the city passing the new state-of-the-art Diosdado Macapagal Bridge.

Alameda said that by the second week of this month, Magsaysay Bridge will be totally closed to traffic for the conduct of round-the-clock groundworks, said Alameda.

It was learned that the groundworks for the rehabilitation of Magsaysay Bridge will last up to 300 days.

The Caraga Region office of the DPWH conducted the bidding process while the District Engineering Office in this city initiated the implementation of the project.

“We will finish this project according to its timeline and if possible ahead of schedule,” said DPWH 13 Regional Director Dr. Evelyn T. Barroso.

She added that ADFIL Construction is being directed to “hit their target timeline” so the economic flow will not be hampered, since the Magsaysay Bridge played a vital role in the economy of the three regions in Northeastern, Northern and Southern Mindanao.

Economic boom continue to spur in the Caraga Region since late April.

Earlier, President Arroyo inaugurated the newly-completed P78 million bridge in Veruela town, Agusan del Sur, which also enhanced the economic growth in the far-flung southern-tip municipalities in that same province.