According to Public Works Secretary Manny Bonoan, the more than 50-year-old structure needs major rehab and retrofitting after 3 segments of the bridge were deemed unsafe.

“It’s very precarious, ‘yung 3 segment ng San Juanico Bridge. They recommended the immediate closure. Ang report nila talagang unsafe na ‘yung 3 segment. Ang isa ‘yung approach from Tacloban at ‘yung isa approach from Samar,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

The public works chief said a consulting firm recommended immediate retrofitting and to limit the load on the bridge to 3 tons.

“It’s a sudden decision that we have to do it because ‘yung safety ng mga motorista, we don’t want to compromise…The department did not anticipate na ganon na kalala ang 3 segments,” he said.

The San Juanico Bridge serves as a critical link between the islands of Samar and Leyte, and is a major passageway for the movement of goods and people from Luzon to Mindanao and vice versa. Any disruption to this route could significantly impact transportation, trade, and the supply of basic commodities.

The Department of Public Works and Highways earlier imposed a strict 3-ton maximum axle load limit on all vehicles passing the bridge after the government identified “vulnerabilities in the bridge’s components.”

Bonoan said cargo trucks and buses will not be allowed to use the bridge for the time being.

The government is also eyeing the construction of a new bridge from Sta. Rita to Tacloban, which will be funded by the Japanese government. 

Design engineering for the new bridge is still ongoing with construction expected to start in 2027.

“We are going to undertake yung mga retrofitting works dun sa 3 segments for the time being para kahit paano ma-increase namin yung load limit but I don’t think it will come to a normal travel across San Juanico bridge for the time being until we construct that new bridge,” he said. 

The DPWH is also in talks with the Department of Transportation to increase ferry services.