LEGAZPI CITY --- Completion of the much-vaunted P32 million Padang Bridge located in a major thoroughfare connecting this city to the first district of Albay has been delayed following the discovery of construction defect. 

        It should be recalled that Public Works and Highways Secretary Victor Domingo December last year ordered the DPWH regional office in Bicol to finish immediately the Padang Bridge project as it connects this city and adjoining towns to the international port in Tabaco City.

        Domingo’s order was prompted by the report of DPWH Regional Director Danilo Manalang that the bridge costing P20 million and P12 million more for the approaches was already 88 percent completed.

        Albay District Engineer Manuel Azurin, however, said completion of the bridge would extend up to March 15 after defects, which include cracks in the bridge’s four girders, were uncovered. 

        DSB Construction, the contractor, in joint venture with WCS Construction, would have to replace the four girders that cost P1.3 million per girder which measures 27 each.

        Azurin refused to elaborate other than saying that Rep. Edcel Lagman (albay, 1st district) who funded the project wants the project’s engineering works in top shape.

        The Padang Bridge project is located 500 meters from the boundary between this city and Sto. Doningo, Albay, the latter belonging to the province’s first congressional district. The route is often closed to traffic during rainy season as a result of volcanic debris from Mt. Mayon. 

        During the Nov. 30, 2006 onslaught of Supertyphoon Reming, about 10 hectares of Barangay Padang’s agricultural and residential area were washed out and buried under mud by volcanic debris where close to 100 people died.

        In an effort to solve traffic problem in the area especially during rainy season, DPWH Asst. Rgional Director Oscar Cristobal said they had proposed the construction of a series of spillways stretching from Legazpi City to the barangays of Arimbay, Bigaa, Padang and Lidong,all of of Sto. Domingo town with a major bridge for Padang River. The series of spillways would measure some 3.5 kilometers long. 

        Cong. Lagman had appropriated P20 million from his pork barrel to start with the new Padang bridge over the river that only becomes passable with an old 10-meter spillway.

        Conspicuously posted at the project site are big billboards with colored photos of Congressmen Lagman, Al Francis Bichara (Albay 2nd district) and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal.

        Bichara’s camp reportedly insisted for his billboard saying that the project lies with his district.

        Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DPW engineer blamed the contractor for the delay saying that instead of ordering the pre-fabricated girder in Manila, an alleged girder specialist was reportedly hired and had the structures built at the project site with the DSB Construction handling the concrete pouring. 

        In addition, the source said, DPWH City Engineer Jim Versoza assigned in the project site young engineers employed as emergency personnel. Versoza was supposed to retire September last year but his term was extended for another six months although he would seldom report to the project site. 

        The defective girder was uncovered by the district material and quality control section. The source said congressman Lagman may not be aware about the real story behind the girder anomaly. 

        According to Rose Bombales, DSB construction owner and infrastructure coordinator of Lagman, the defective girder was not intended. She said four new pre-fabricated girders were ordered from Manila and would soon be delivered.