The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started building a bridge designed to accommodate heavier traffic loads in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija.

DPWH-Nueva Ecija 2nd District Engineer Elpidio Trinidad said on Tuesday the 0.68-kilometer, two-lane Eliseo Trinidad Angeles Bridge along the Pampanga River will connect Barangay La Fuente and Barangay Valenzuela in Sta. Rosa.

Trinidad cited the need to build a new bridge as the old Sta. Rosa Bridge already has a damaged deck.

“With the construction of the Eliseo Trinidad Angeles Bridge, we will not only provide an alternative route to motorists but it will also help improve traffic in the area,” Trinidad said in a social media post.

Assistant District Engineer Robert Jay Panaligan said some PHP182.99 million sourced from the 2021 national budget was allocated for the first phase of the project which is the construction of the bridge substructure.

“This is a multi-year project and the construction of the bridge substructure is expected to be completed this year, and we have already programmed for immediate funding for the completion of its superstructure,” Panaligan said.

“The construction of the new bridge will not only ease traffic to motorists and residents but also provide more opportunities for growth and development in the area,” he added.

The project is part of the long-term plans of the Duterte administration for an overall connectivity improvement in the countryside. (PNA)