The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has introduced a temporary ban on heavy vehicles traversing the Biliran Bridge in Biliran province, following alarming videos circulating on social media that depicted the bridge swaying. The decision, effective from late Monday, December 23, 2024, restricts the bridge’s use to light vehicles such as passenger vans and SUVs, which connect Leyte and Biliran islands.
The DPWH’s Eastern Visayas regional office cited severe wind conditions and increased holiday traffic as reasons for the restriction. They advised bus operators to offload passengers before crossing and urged the public to cross the bridge cautiously and one at a time. Videos shared on the Biliran Island Facebook page captured the bridge exhibiting wave-like movements, with visible motion in its steel components.
In response to the bridge’s deteriorating condition, the DPWH had previously announced plans in 2021 to construct a new PHP500 million bridge adjacent to the existing structure, which was originally built in 1976. The old bridge, now deemed unsafe for heavy vehicles, underscores the urgency of the new construction project.