The southbound side of Bolton Bridge (Bolton Bridge I) will be temporarily closed for 10 days—from Friday, July 18 at 10:00 p.m. until Sunday, July 27 at midnight—to allow for urgent repairs on its expansion joints.
The 21st City Council approved the closure on Tuesday following a recommendation from the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO).
Atty. Eduardo Perez IV, Acting Head of the CTTMO, said in an interview that the contractors of the bridge repair proposed the ten-day closure following inspection of the initial repair done in April.
It can be recalled that the Bolton Bridge I was also temporarily closed on April 4 to May 18 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. to give way for repair and rehabilitation.
In a meeting with the CTTMO, the bridge repair contractors revealed that the previous schedule failed to allow sufficient time for optimal curing, or the drying and hardening phase, of the repair. CTTMO, through their Traffic Engineering and Infrastructure Division, later confirmed these findings.
Perez said that during the closure, Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) will maintain their regular routes through Bolton Bridge II (Northbound – Inner lane), which will remain open for two-way traffic for PUVs and private vehicles. However, CTTMO will implement rerouting measures for heavy vehicles, including large trucks, which will not be allowed to pass through the bridge.
Trucks from Quezon Boulevard may use San Pedro St. going to E. Quirino Ave. or McArthur Highway, G. Torres St. (Sandawa) to Quimpo Boulevard.
“We will issue advisories [regarding the closure], in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways,” he added.
Perez assured that CTTMO personnel, in coordination with the DPWH, will also be deployed to enforce the truck ban on Bolton Bridge II and monitor compliance.
“Mag-deploy mi’g personnel diha, in coordination with the DPWH, to check truck nga muagi diha. Kami, we will advise and coordinate with stakeholders (We will deploy personnels in the area, in coordination with the DPWH, to check for trucks. We will also issue public advisories and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure smooth traffic flow during the closure),” he said. CIO
