Under strict nighttime rules
TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has raised the allowable load limit at the San Juanico Bridge to 30 tons, easing months-long restrictions and earning support from the business sector, while imposing strict traffic controls to protect the aging structure.
In an advisory issued on Wednesday, December 17, the DPWH–Eastern Visayas said the revised load limit took effect immediately but will be implemented under a regulated traffic scheme. Trucks weighing up to 30 tons are allowed to cross the bridge only from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., on a one-way-at-a-time basis, and must use a single lane.
“Effective December 17, 2025, trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 30 tons are allowed to cross the San Juanico Bridge from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on a one-way-at-a-time basis,” the DPWH said.
The agency also reminded motorists to observe a maximum speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour and to maintain a minimum distance of 40 meters between vehicles while crossing.
The adjustment raises the previous 15-ton load limit, which was announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his visit to the bridge on December 15, after engineering assessments showed the structure could safely accommodate heavier vehicles under controlled conditions.
The decision was welcomed by the local business community, which had earlier expressed concern over the restrictions’ impact on the movement of goods and economic activity in Eastern Visayas.
Wilson Uy, former president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Tacloban–Leyte Chapter and a member of the Leyte Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the change would help improve logistics without compromising public safety.
“We welcome the DPWH decision to increase the load limit of the San Juanico Bridge to 30 tons under a regulated traffic scheme,” Uy said in an online interview on Thursday.
“This is a timely move that will help improve the flow of goods and support the local economy of Eastern Visayas, while ensuring safety through strict guidelines and monitoring,” he added.
Earlier, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said local officials had proposed to President Marcos that 30-ton vehicles be allowed to cross the 2.16-kilometer bridge, provided traffic is limited to a single lane.
Load restrictions were imposed in May this year, initially allowing only three-ton vehicles, after inspections revealed structural defects in the bridge, which was opened in 1973 and serves as a critical link between Samar and Leyte, and the rest of the country.
Retrofitting and strengthening works on the bridge are ongoing, the DPWH said. Vehicles weighing more than 30 tons remain prohibited and are required to use alternative routes, including seaport facilities in Amandayehan, Basey, Samar, with roll-on/roll-off transport to Tacloban City, Leyte.
Originally designed with a 33-ton load capacity, the San Juanico Bridge handles an average of about 14,000 vehicles daily, around 1,400 of which previously fell under restricted weight categories.
LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA, JOEY A. GABIETA
