“Napakalaking kaluwagan sa lahat ng mamamayan ng Samal at sa mga may sasakyan lalo na ng tricycle. Ngayon pati mananakay nasisiyahan,” tricycle driver Renato Flores said when asked what they can say about the opening of the bridge.
While the bridge was under construction, vehicles had to pass the dilapidated, narrow alternate roads inside villages of Samal.
“Sa loob masikip, sir-sira ang daan. Ang malapit na pupuntahan, napapalayo,” the tricycle driver said.
Flores and his companions have another wish. “Sana tapusin na ang magkabilang side ng tulay para maging maluwag. Sana mayari na sa lalong madaling panahon,” appealed Flores, also village councilman of Barangay Sta. Lucia.
He was referring to road shoulders on both approaches of the bridge that remained unfinished.
Also, road intersections in barangays East Daan-Bago and West Daan-Bago were still not passable even to tricycles.
Residents near the affected street intersections and unfinished road shoulders were complaining but refused to be identified.
Workers of Tokwing Construction Corp. said heavy vehicles like passenger buses could still not pass the bridge because of low-installed telephone and electric wires across the road that have to be rehabilitated.
While passenger buses could not yet use the bridge, commuters from Samal to and from Metro Manila, Pampanga and Zambales have to go to Balanga City that meant delay and additional expenses.
The Samal bridge is one of 10 bridges in Region 3 that Tokwing is building in a package deal under the government’s Design and Build Program.
The Samal bridge reportedly funded for P18 million is the fi rst project in the country under the program.
Construction began on September 2016.
Tokwing under contract with the Region 3 office of the Department of Public Works and Highways has to finish the bridge by September 26, 2017 but the date was moved to November 25, 2017 after some problems had to be settled.
The delayed construction caused uproar from residents and the commuting public.
