Buntun Bridge

Coordinates: 17°36′49″N 121°41′29″E / 17.61361°N 121.69139°E / 17.61361; 121.69139

Buntun Bridge
Buntun Bridge at dusk from Tuguegarao
Coordinates 17°36′49″N 121°41′29″E / 17.6136°N 121.6914°E / 17.6136; 121.6914Coordinates: 17°36′49″N 121°41′29″E / 17.6136°N 121.6914°E / 17.6136; 121.6914
Carries 2 lanes of N51 (Santiago–Tuguegarao Road); pedestrian sidewalks
Crosses Cagayan River
Locale Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (North)
Solana, Cagayan (South)
Official name Buntun Bridge
Other name(s) Talletay ta Buntun
Maintained by Department of Public Works and Highways
Characteristics
Design Steel truss bridge[1]
Material Steel, Concrete, Asphalt
Total length 1,369 m (4,491 ft)
Height 37 m (121 ft)
No. of spans 14
Clearance above 6 m (21 ft)
History
Constructed by Philippine National Construction Corporation
Construction start 1960 (Groundbreaking)[1]
Construction end 1969
Opened June 1, 1969
Statistics
Toll No

Buntun Bridge (Itawit: Talletay ta Buntun; Ilokano: Rangtáy ti Buntun; Filipino: Tulay ng Buntun) is a river bridge that stretches from Tuguegarao City to Solana in Cagayan and spans the Cagayan River, the largest river basin in the Philippines.[2] It is the second longest bridge in the country, after San Juanico Bridge, and forms part of the Santiago-Tuguegarao Road (designated as Route 51 by the Department of Public Works and Highways highway routing system), a major junction of the Pan-Philippine Highway.

A popular belief is that the bridge is long enough for a person to recite the entire Philippine National Anthem while traversing.[3]

History

In 1959, President Carlos Garcia released ₱200,000 to start the construction of the bridge. The meager amount was augmented in several appropriations embodied in different Republic Acts through the initiative of 2nd District Congressman Benjamin Ligot. The ground-breaking ceremonies on December 11, 1960 was attended by President Garcia[1]

Construction

The construction was based from the original plan of ten 240-feet steel through truss spans and one 50-feet I-beam approach on each end. With the initial ₱200,000, Alonzo completed Abutment A. Pier I, footing and pedestal of Pier II.

In 1962, however, President Diosdado Macapagal took over as President and no one knew whether or not he would continue the project. Congressman Ligot convinced the President to continue the project under one AGUID Construction Company. The frequent floods have widened the river channel and caused the change of plan for the bridge to 14 240-feet Japanese steel through truss spans, one 50-feet I-beam approach on the Solana side.

President Ferdinand Marcos ordered Highways Secretary Antonio Raquiza to assign the bureau’s construction team led by Engineer Rogelio Talastas to Buntun Bridge. The team, under Alonzo's general supervision, went to work in full swing in May 1968.

By May 10 the following year, the bridge was practically completed. However, the construction team was transferred to another project, leaving Alonzo to complete the painting of the landmark structure and the construction of the grouted riprap and the road approaches.[1]

First Lady Imelda Marcos opened the bridge to vehicular traffic on June 1, 1969, which took three administrations to build.[1]

Features

Buntun Bridge serves as the gateway to the Cagayan's provincial capital, Tuguegarao City and links to the second and third district municipalities of Cagayan and Apayao.[4] The road infrastructure measures 1,369 m (4,491 ft), considered the longest river bridge in the Philippines. It has 14 Japanese steel spans. The bridge offers an unobstructed, picturesque view of the Cagayan River,[5] the widest and longest river in the country.

Notes

^ There are inconsistencies regarding the actual length of the bridge. Numerous sources cite 1,098 m (3,602 ft) as the bridge's official length. On the other hand, the 1,369 m (4,491 ft) length was retrieved from the information indicated in the bridge itself.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 De Yro, Benjie. "Buntun, the bridge 3 presidents built". NorthernForum.net. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  2. ↑ http://lakbaypinas.ph/landmarks.aspx?city=1529&grp=Category&index=4%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  3. ↑ http://www.dangerousroads.org/asia/philippines/6134-buntun-bridge.html
  4. ↑ http://discoverph.com/activity-to-do/out-and-about/buntun-bridge-tuguegarao-city/
  5. ↑ http://www.txtmania.com/trivia/longest.php


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