President Arroyo will inaugurate on Monday the newly-restored Patapat Viaduct in Ilocos Norte whose construction, when completed during the month, is expected to boost tourism in the northern part of the region.

Accompanied by Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and other government officials, Mrs. Arroyo will inspect the viaduct, a 1.128 kilometer concrete coastal bridge, at noontime after attending a prior engagement in Laoag City.

The viaduct--the term used for bridges near coastal areas-- is an important transport link connecting the major road networks of Ilocos Norte and Cagayan Valley Region. It also runs along the seashore beneath the Patapat Mountains and forms part of the Laoag-Allacapan Road Section.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is restoring the Patapat viaduct, which is nearing completion after it was damaged by major rockslides and super typhoons in the past two decades.

“Patapat Viaduct has undergone a series of damages paralyzing the tourism industry in the North. Landslides and rockslides always destroy the road often with human casualties,

”DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo, who is in charge of the Luzon operations, said.

He said Ebdane has ordered. the completion of the viaduct by August 31 under the revised contract date and they have asked their concerned personnel “to work round the clock but without sacrificing quality work.’’

Ceferino Londina, project manager of the viaduct's contractor JH Pajara Construction, said it is reinforced with concrete seawall, concrete blocks and other related structures for pier foundation to withstand perennial problem of sea wave action.

“The catch wall structures have also undergone improvement to protect the viaduct from any landslides or rockslides,” Almario Monton, project engineer of the Philippine-Japan Highway Loan-Project Management Office (PJHL-PMO), said.

Monton, representing the PJHL-PMO which is implementing the project, said the viaduct is known to be dangerous for motorists since it is located near rugged mountain cliffs.”People would now fully appreciate the major highway’s safety.”

The restoration work on the viaduct is worth P 219,101,258.42. Funding for the project, which is included in the 9th Yen Loan Package, is provided for by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
 
The Patapat viaduct in Ilocos Norte is known as the fourth longest bridge in the Philippines. Aside from it, the region is also known for famous tourist attractions like Pagudpud beaches, Bangui Windmills, Malacanang of the North, and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.