The sudden closure of the San Juanico Bridge to heavy moving loads had caused disruption of economic activities in the region and other parts of the country. There was lack of preparation on the part of the public works and highways department insofar as alternate routes are concerned. There had been an alternate route when the bridge was closed for repair in the past but the same was not retrofitted in advance of the planned closure.
The abrupt action just three days after the press conference where the regional director announced the structural damage requiring the immediate closure of the bridge caught travelers in shock. Many passengers who came from far places in Luzon and Mindanao had no inkling that their scheduled appointments would be derailed.
Following the public outburst over the situation, the public works and highways department went into panic mode, cramming for band-aid stop-gap measures to minimize the anger of the people who were affected. Drivers of buses and trucks were helpless as they departed from their places of origin without food provisions enough to sustain them for several days beyond their usual days on the road. The problem for sustenance was aggravated when their passengers are scheduled connecting travels by plane or other modes of transportation in the cities across the bridge.
There too was the problem of truckers who carried good and food that are perishable. They cannot afford to remain stagnated for several days as their cargoes will rot and huge losses will be incurred. It took several days before the concerned offices were able to give food provisions to the bus and truck drivers and crew that were stranded.
The companies and owners have to send financial support for communication and other needs of their personnel. The consignees who expect the goods to be delivered had to wait indefinitely as even media reports do not provide details on target dates when the huge and heavy buses and trucks could cross to the other side of the bridge.
Buzz on the availability of a port and ferry from Calbayog gave the drivers an option. But the cost of returning from the foot of San Juanico Bridge to the Calbayog port, traveling on bumpy portions of the Samar highway was just too taxing. The cost of the fare for trucks and buses were reportedly too high considering that the destination is the port of Ormoc. Goods for the city of Tacloban had to take another travel from the port of Ormoc, entailing additional cost for fuel and personnel.
Talks about building another bridge across the San Juanico Straight was brought to the mainstream out of desperation. The proposal had been rumored many times many years ago but it remained just that, a rumor. The came wild ideas like providing cable cars to carry passengers but not cargoes and heavy loads for sure. All these palliative solutions were an offshoot of the crossing ban.
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