DPWH to ban heavy trucks from Buhang Flyover after repairs

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Visayas will install an overhead gantry or vertical clearance marker at the approaches of the Buhang Flyover in Jaro once repair works are completed to prevent overloaded trucks from using the structure.

DPWH-6 Regional Director Denise Maria Ayag said the visible cracks and falling debris observed in parts of the PHP 315 million flyover were likely caused by heavily loaded container trucks passing through the structure.

“It could be the cause because the vehicles passing through are overloaded. We know that vehicles naturally produce minor vibrations—not very strong, but still vibrations. Probably it can be attributed to the heavy loaded trucks that use it,” he said.

The flyover, which opened to motorists in May 2023, has a load capacity of about 31 tonnes.

However, Ayag said some trucks weighing 50 to 82 tonnes, including container trucks coming from Dumangas Port, have been passing through the flyover.

A gantry is an overhead frame structure installed at road approaches that physically restricts vehicles exceeding a specified height or weight from passing through, commonly used to protect bridges and flyovers from overloading.

Earlier in January, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the contractor, F. Gurrea Construction Inc., to immediately carry out repair works on the structure.

Ayag said the installation of a gantry at the flyover approaches will help enforce vehicle restrictions and protect the structure’s safety and longevity.

“We will install a gantry if it is finished. We will not allow heavy loaded trucks to use the flyover,” he said.

Ayag said the repair project has gone beyond simple crack sealing because several slabs of the flyover’s deck surface need to be replaced to restore structural strength and durability.

The agency conducted structural tests, including rebound hammer tests and micropiling, to verify the integrity of the flyover.

The assessment revealed cracks in several spans of the structure.

“We found out that several spans need to be redo. Others, you can just have retrofitting work with the means of carbon fiber if possible,” he said.

“We really need to redo it since we saw the cracks. We cannot just do palliative works. What we did is a total redo of the slabs to ensure that the corrections are reliable,” he added.

During the repair works, reinforced concrete slabs were removed and crushed as part of the reconstruction process.

Ayag said the same materials and specifications will be used when the slabs are replaced.

“If you can see, there is extensive work being done on the Buhang Flyover. This is to ensure that it will be properly fixed because we do not want repetitive corrections later. We need to make sure that our repair is done correctly,” he said.

He added that the repair costs will be shouldered by the contractor.

Civil works on the flyover began in February, and the closure was initially scheduled to last until March 25, 2026.

However, Ayag said the reopening may be moved to May or June to allow more time to complete the repairs.

Dizon earlier said the flyover was expected to reopen after the Holy Week period, around late March to early April.

Ayag stressed that the flyover must remain closed to motorists while repairs are ongoing to ensure continuous work and prevent further structural risks.

“We really need to close it because the stability of the flyover could be affected while work is still ongoing. We are not going to sacrifice the [integrity] of the flyover again. Motorists will have to bear a little inconvenience,” he said.

The Buhang Flyover, located along a major corridor in Jaro district, was built to ease traffic congestion in northern Iloilo City and improve connectivity between the city proper and nearby municipalities.