Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar announced that a new bridge located on the San Jose – Rizal Road in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija is now open to general traffic.
“Now that the Sibut Bridge is open to all types of vehicles, it should help spur the local economy and provide ease of travel between San Jose City and the town of Rizal here in Nueva Ecija,” Villar said.
Built in the amount of P240 million, full access to Sibut Bridge started January 7.
“Travel time is now cut to only 30 minutes.”
“The good news is that through this bridge, travel time is now cut to only 30 minutes,” the public works chief added.
The public works head revealed that prior to the completion of this bridge, the residents and other motorists have to go through traveling for one hour and 15 minutes from San Jose City just to get to the town of Rizal.
As the existing overflow bridge is already dilapidated, the traffic during inclement weather has to be rerouted and light vehicles will have to pass through a circuitous route and cross the river through a narrow bridge in Barangay Tulat that further prolongs the travel to about an hour and fifteen minutes just to reach the town of Rizal.
According to Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil Sadain, Sibut Bridge is 240 meters in length, comprising 8 spans on seven 7 piers, and sufficient height to allow the river discharge without fear of being overtopped by floodwaters.
“This project is part and parcel of the long-term plans of the Duterte administration.”
“This project is part and parcel of the long-term plans of the Duterte administration and Villar’s vision for an overall connectivity improvement in the countryside,” Sadain explained.
The bridge project was implemented by the DPWH UPMO Bridges Management Cluster headed by Project Director Rodrigo Delos Reyes.