New Clarin Bridge in Bohol is now open

The wait is officially over after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) opened the newly-completed Clarin Bridge to motorists.

Spanning a total of 104 meters, the new bridge sits parallel to where the old bridge used to be which collapsed earlier this year. The two-lane bridge has a 'Nielsen Arch' design and was built with a budget of PHP 501.87 million.

Present during the inauguration of the Clarin Bridge were key personnel from the DPWH, the local government of Bohol, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which helped make the bridge a reality. These included DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, JICA Senior Representative Kenji Kuronuma, and Bohol Governor Arthur C. Yap.

Together, Sadain, Kuronuma, and Yap lead the ceremonial unveiling of the marker of the new Clarin Bridge under the JICA-assisted Road Upgrading/Improvement Component of the Road Upgrading and Preservation Project (RUPP).

The new Clarin Bridge is part of the Bohol Circumferential Road and will serve an important role in the mobility of goods, people, as well as tourism in the province. Construction of the bridge consisted of 12 pieces of bored piles that are 1,200mm in diameter each, a reinforced concrete deck slab with asphalt concrete pavement overlay, a reinforced sidewalk with metal railings, and lighting structures.

With the all-new bridge now open to the public, expect it to be one of the province's most popular landmarks in the future.