DPWH commences building of detour bridge in Cagayan 

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started building a detour bridge near the collapsed Piggatan Bridge in Alcala, Cagayan, as part of a three-pronged strategy to ease the transport of agricultural goods in Luzon.

DPWH Secretary Vivencio Dizon said the new 124-meter detour bridge, which has a 40-ton capacity—more than double the 18-ton limit of the old bridge—will be completed within 60 days. The total project cost is ₱17.4 million.

The 45-year-old Piggatan Bridge collapsed on October 6 after four overloaded trucks, each reportedly weighing over 50 tons, crossed it simultaneously.

“We will expedite the construction of this 40-ton capacity bridge so that residents can again transport their harvests such as palay and corn,” Dizon said.

As part of the department’s broader solution, Dizon said the DPWH is coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to explore alternative “logistical roads by sea” for transporting farm produce from Cagayan to other regions like Metro Manila and Batangas.

He added that a new traffic management plan is also being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. “We have issued traffic management measures so that heavy trucks will no longer cross bridges at the same time,” he said.

Dizon assured that the DPWH, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive, will fast-track the completion of the detour bridge and other initiatives to help farmers in the Cagayan Valley.