Mindanaotoday.com | Oro’s Ysalina bridge load limit cut for safety
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The regional public works and highways office in Cagayan de Oro has issued a travel advisory on Tuesday, December 13, that it has reduced the load limit of Gov. Paciencio Ysalina (formerly Carmen) Bridge for public safety.
“The public is informed that the load limit of Ysalina Bridge has been lowered from 7 tons or 14,000 pounds to 4 tons or 8,000 pounds,” the DPWH-10 travel advisory posted on its official Facebook account states.
This, after “results of the bridge inspection revealed the necessity to reduce the said bridge’s (load) limit for public safety.”
With the reduced carrying capacity of the 90-year old concrete structure, only lightweight motor vehicles may be allowed passage and people on standby should be prohibited, the advisory further states.
Engr. Nonito Oclarit, assistant administrator of the city’s roads and traffic office, confirmed they have started implementing a new traffic management scheme, in coordination with the DPWH-10, taking into account the status of the bridge.
Oclarit said the City Council had passed an ordinance earlier, prohibiting heavy motor vehicles from passing through Ysalina bridge.
The city has at least five other bridges across Cagayan River which truck and heavy equipment drivers may use – Kagay-an, J.R. Borja, Maharlika (Marcos), Kauswagan, and Pelaez.
Even Balulang Bridge has recently been opened while construction of the Bayabas-Bonbon Bridge is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, Nick Jabagat who heads the City Disaster Risk and Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) advised on Tuesday, December 13, motorists to take extra precautions while driving as road accidents have gone up lately.
Jabagat said that while they respond on calls for assistance, including vehicular incidents, as fast as they could in order to save lives, yet they have difficulty running after those involved in hit-and-run.
The family of Architect Jerico Fuentes Casiño, who died due to a vehicular accident while riding on a motorbike early Saturday, December 10, has appealed for witnesses to come out, and urged the truck driver to yield.
Casiño, 34, a resident of Bonbon village was an employee of the Department of Health-10, Cagayan de Oro.
“Our CCTVs (closed-circuit television) are down since last year, hopefully these will be restored next year,” said the CDRRMO acting head, adding that they work closely with business establishments who have CCTVs. (MT)
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