Is Kalibo’s Mobo bridge still safe?

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BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
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Wednesday, May 31, 2017
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KALIBO, Aklan – Engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office have recommended the construction of a new bridge to replace the Kalibo Mobo bridge.

The DPWH’s Bureau of Design (BOD) recommendation was made during the structural integrity assessment of the 20-year old bridge.

The agency’s inspection report pointed out that “strengthening the Kalibo Mobo bridge due to defects of existing structure and its bridge hydraulic condition and foundation will require construction of bored piles which are expensive and uneconomical.”

“It is more practical to construct a new bridge, upstream of the existing Kalibo Mobo bridge. The old bridge will remain to serve the pedestrians and light vehicles,” stated the inspection report signed by Engr. Pastora Cabrera, chief of BOD Surveys and Investigation Division, and Engr. Edwin Matanguihan, chief of BOD Bridges Division.

The temporary single-lane bridge also no longer conforms to the current DPWH specifications for bridges. Thus, it will require extensive structural repair and seismic retrofitting.

During the actual field inspection, BOD engineers noticed damaged floor planks along the bridge deck due to strong typhoons that hit Kalibo in 2008 (typhoon “Frank”) and 2012 (typhoon “Quinta”).

Minor corrosion of the structural elements had also damaged the bottom chords and cross stringers of the bridge, the report showed.

The inspection team also found exposure of around 6-7 meters of field bent and reinforced concrete pipes above the ordinary water level.  Siltation was noted along the Aklan river near the area of Mobo bridge, both upstream and downstream.

Warning signs advising the public for “only light vehicles” to use the bridge and the water level sensor as part of the community flood early warning system were installed.

The inspection team also stressed that “no detailed engineering plans as built” were presented during the time of inspection. Bridge designs plans also had no records on file with DPWH-Aklan District Engineering Office and Municipal Engineering Office.

To date, the one-lane bridge is being used as a detour during the January Ati-Atihan festival celebration and an alternate route of motorists and bikers to Barangay Laguinbanua East in the western town of Numancia.

The Mobo bridge field inspection was conducted from March 22 to 24 per request of Sangguniang Bayan of Kalibo to BOD director assistant secretary Gilberto Senson Reyes for a scientific study on how to strengthen the bridge structural foundation of Mobo.

Mobo bridge is a 3-meter wide 18-span, 216 lineal meters structure constructed in 1997 during the term of then Kalibo mayor Allen Quimpo. The bridge substructure is reinforced by concrete pile foundation.

The bridge along the provincial road section under the jurisdiction of Kalibo municipal government connects Barangay Mobo and Barangay Estancia (Sitio Libtong). (With Aklan Forum Journal/PN)

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