Butuanon Bridge set for inspection

The Butuanon Bridge in Mandaue City will undergo a structural integrity inspection after a recommendation from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Cebu Chapter.

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The advice was issued following a board meeting where the group addressed a citizen's concern about whether it is safe for vehicles, especially those traveling south toward Cebu City, to wait on the bridge during a red light.

In a letter to the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), PICE explained that while the bridge is designed to handle moving traffic, the repeated stopping of vehicles creates stationary or "dead" loads that could gradually impact its long-term strength.

"The bridge is primarily designed to support moving loads, and while it can occasionally tolerate stopped vehicles in exceptional circumstances, the current frequency and duration of such stoppages subjects the Butuanon Bridge to excessive stationary (dead) loads," PICE noted in the letter.

The engineers urged the TEAM to further assess the situation and, if needed, make adjustments to help protect the bridge's long-term structural integrity.