SOUTHERN LEYTE – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Edgar Tabacon recently reported that Liloan Bridge and Calbiga Bridge in Samar, two vital connectors in Eastern Visayas linking Luzon and Mindanao, require urgent repair due to concerns about their structural integrity.
Built in 1977, the Liloan Bridge in Southern Leyte is now 48 years old. The DPWH has imposed a strict 5-ton weight limit on the bridge, affecting buses and trucks that frequently exceed this threshold.
Following an assessment, the DPWH Southern Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office (DPWH-SL2ndDEO) identified severe corrosion in several steel components. As a result, the right-side lane of the bridge was closed on February 19, 2025.
Assistant District Engineer Evelyn D. Yap reported that a joint inspection conducted from February 17 to 19, 2025, by DPWH-SL2ndDEO, DPWH Regional Office 8, and the Bureau of Design revealed significant structural damage. This included cracking on the deck slab and extensive corrosion on all steel components.
“The most alarming damage includes corrosion on both top and bottom cross-bracing joints, multiple cracks on the deck slabs, and steel bearing corrosion that has affected the elevation of the expansion joints,” Yap noted.
Although maintenance activities such as gutter cleaning and repainting pavement markings are ongoing, the bridge has been declared structurally unsafe for heavy vehicles. A Post-Earthquake Assessment Report dated February 20, 2025, reaffirmed the 5-ton load limit. Currently, only one lane is open, and vehicles must cross one at a time, avoiding gear shifts and reducing speed to minimize structural stress.
In response, the government has launched a two-phase retrofitting and strengthening project. Phase I, funded with PHP 80.89 million under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), includes installation of bearing devices and a seismic isolation system, replacement of expansion joints and damaged gusset plates, and comprehensive sandblasting of steel elements.
Phase II, with a proposed budget of PHP 170 million, is under review. It covers structural strengthening, replacement of heavily corroded components, external post-tensioning, and full repainting of the bridge.
Yap also confirmed that plans are underway to construct a parallel bridge. A feasibility study has been completed, and a Detailed Engineering Design (DED) is ongoing. Funding is being sought with assistance from the Korean government.
Procurement for Phase I is now in progress and is being managed by DPWH Regional Office 8. The department aims to implement the project promptly to reduce risks to commuters and preserve this vital infrastructure in Southern Leyte.
The bridge’s condition worsened after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on January 23, 2025, which caused severely corroded cross-bracings to detach. To reduce strain from heavy vehicles, alternative docking points at the ports of Maasin, Padre Burgos, and San Juan have been proposed.
Photo by: Jayson Segun
Liloan Bridge connects Panaon Island to Leyte Island. It is a key route for vehicles and passengers traveling between Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao via the Maharlika Highway, also known as the Pan-American Highway, leading to the Liloan Port ferry. (Source: DPWH, PIA Leyte)