The project conducted a feasibility study and engineering design of the proposed improvements of Lambingan and Outer Guadalupe Bridges using the latest DPWH Design Guidelines and Criteria that includes new seismic design specifications and impact of climate change. The two bridges were identified among the 12 bridges in Metro Manila that included Ayala, Delpan, and Marikina Bridges as big bridges that are not sufficiently resilient to withstand big-scale earthquakes in an earlier JICA-funded study conducted in 2013 entitled “Improvement of Bridges Through Disaster Mitigating Measures for Large Scale Earthquakes in the Philippines”.
An important outcome of the 2015 project was the agreement to examine the advantages of applying Japan’s seismic strengthening technology including rapid construction method on Lambingan and Guadalupe Bridges. Under this project, focus was given on the improvement of the seismic capacity of the two bridges enhancing its capacity to withstand large-scale earthquake thus preserving the continuous flow of road traffic and enabling quick recovery of socio-economic activities in the event of a major earthquake disaster. The importance of the two bridges cannot be undermine as they are fixed links over Pasig River, the longest and main river that runs right through the heart of Metro Manila having a length of 26 kilometers, a width of 50 meters, and a depth of 4-6meters.
The 10-lane Guadalupe Bridge has a length of 114.4 meters and has an outer bridge that was built in 1979, while the 6-lane Lambingan Bridge has a length of 98.1 meters and was built in 1979. The proposed improvements on the two bridges are the results of a long and arduous process that included in-depth look at the bridge and road network situation in Metro Manila, study of traffic conditions, socio-economic profiling, review of current design and construction planning system, survey and analysis of natural and social environment considerations, and study of institutional, legal mechanisms, and capacity of government and private institutions to operate and maintain roads and bridges. Further support to this initiative is the institutionalization of the LRFD Bridge Seismic Design Specifications in the Department of Public Works and Highways.