CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 18 February) — Buckling under pressure from conservationists and city officials, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it would no longer demolish the iconic Ysalina Bridge here.
Engineer Sabeniano Caliao, head of the DPWH 10 Planning and Design Division said instead of demolishing the bridge, they will repair it, especially the steel girders that support the deck.
Caliao earlier recommended that the Ysalina Bridge be torn down and replaced with a new one after they found significant corrosion at the steel support piles and caps, rendering the bridge unsafe for public use and vehicular traffic.
Ysalina Bridge The installation of new lights at the Ysalina Bridge in Cagayan de Oro by the city government on February 14, 2020 is an instant hit among residents. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro) said the DPWH will have to change the program of work of the P165-million budget from construction to “major repairs” of the Ysalina Bridge.
Rodriguez said the DPWH also proposed building passageways for bicycles and pedestrian traffic.
Raul Ilogon of the Kagay-an Heritage Advocates hailed the decision of the DPWH.
“Now we can sleep soundly. We commend DPWH 10 for listening and acting positively to the clamor of the people and city officials,” Ilogon said.
Kagay-an Heritage Advocates opposed the demolition of Ysalina Bridge citing the significance of its 144-year history.
Ysalina Bridge was first constructed between 1880 and 1890, using bamboo under the orders of Major Juan Zanon, a military governor of Misamis Oriental, the first bridge to connect the eastern and western parts of Cagayan de Oro.
The Cagayan de Oro Historical Commission reported that the bamboo bridge was replaced with steel in 1931 but this was destroyed during World War II.
The current bridge was constructed in 1946 and has undergone several retrofitting efforts to repair its corroded girders and trusses. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
