Estrella-Pantaleon bridge almost complete for July reopening

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that the construction of the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge is almost complete. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar shared that final works are now taking place, and the said bridge will reopen in July.

The Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge is almost complete

The agency also said that the Estrella-Pantaleon or Rockwell bridge is already 89 percent complete after the inspection conducted by DPWH Secretary Villar and Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil Sadain. The bridge is now at the finishing touches stage, and Villar expects it to reopen by July.    

Undersecretary Sadain added that the substructure and superstructure construction is now complete. We previously reported that the DPWH has completed substructure works that include V-shaped piers and 20 segments of the pre-stressed concrete box girder used by the main bridge, concrete box girder for the approach bridge, and two pre-stressed concrete box girder segments.  

Rendered image of the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge

The construction team working on the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge is now doing ancillary works on the sidewalk for pedestrians and bikers. The team is also working on the bridge’s lighting system, and the construction of approach road at both Makati and Mandaluyong sides.    

The Estrella-Pantaleon bridge was closed in January 2019 to make way for its expansion. Previously, the steel truss bridge connecting Estrella Street in Makati City and Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong City only has two lanes. The significant growth of vehicles in Metro Manila is one of the reasons why the DPWH decided to reconstruct the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge that was designed with a capacity of around 22,000 vehicles. 

The reconstructed bridge will feature four lanes, which doubles its carrying capacity. DPWH also intends to make the Estrella-Pantaleon bridge more capable to withstand high-intensity earthquakes. The said bridge is a Php 1.47 billion project under the China-grant. It is expected to accommodate about 50,000 vehicles per day and reduce travel time between Makati and Mandaluyong to just 12 minutes.    

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