Bauang-Baguio City Road is temporarily closed to vehicular traffic due to the repair of Ribsuan Bridge connecting Naguilian and Burgos towns of La Union.
Department of Public Works and Highways ordered the temporary closure of the bridge to give way for the setting/curing of newly poured concrete as part of the repair works undertaken and is expected to re-open to light vehicles on September 30, 2015.
The 59 lineal meter bridge is one of the oldest permanent steel bridges along the 46 kilometers Bauang-Baguio City Road also known as Naguilian Road or Quirino Highway.
DPWH advised motorists primarily those coming from San Fernando City, La Union and other northern provinces of Ilocos Region and other parts of Northern Luzon to take Marcos Highway in Agoo town or Kennon Road in going to and from Baguio City.
Meanwhile, DPWH has started the construction of a new bridge to replace the 50-year old Bongo Bridge along Ilocos Norte-Abra Road.
Bongo Bridge connects the towns of Banna and Nueva Era in Ilocos Norte and serves as link to the Cordillera Administrative Region.
The bridge project costing P253 Million involves the construction of 7 spans 35 meter pre-stressed concrete girder type, two abutments and 6 piers resting on concrete piles cast in drilled holes downstream of the old existing bridge and will be completed by August 2016.
Also included are protection works with the construction of grouted riprap, gabion, bio-engineered erosion control system using coconet, stone masonry slope protection for the approaches, gabion spur dikes on upstream and downstream, and river rechanellization.