By Melvin C. Gascon
Residents of Tuguegarao City and several parts of Cagayan province and northern Isabela are facing severe mobility disruptions following the closure of the Buntun Bridge on Tuesday, after the Cagayan River swelled due to rains from Super Typhoon Uwan over the weekend.
The closure has once again drawn public attention to the delays, stalled works, and structural questions surrounding several bridge projects that are supposed to serve as alternative routes linking the city and neighboring towns.
Residents and local groups are calling on the national government to conduct an honest-to-goodness investigation on the anomalies hobbling bridge projects in the city.
Buntun Bridge
On Monday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ordered the closure of Buntun Bridge as water levels along the Cagayan River reached a critical point.
The bridge serves as the main link connecting Tuguegarao to the western side of Cagayan and to the Maharlika Highway leading to Isabela and to the rest of Region 2.
With the closure, motorists have been forced to take secondary routes and interior roads, many of which are either still under construction, restricted to light vehicles, or non-operational.
The closure on Buntun Bridge, however, has puzzled residents, as it underwent retrofitting in 2023.
The DPWH had earlier announced that P101.3 million was allocated to strengthen the 1.1-kilometer steel truss bridge, which was opened in 1969 and is among the country’s longest river crossings.
Local businesses, public transport operators, and commuters said the renewed disruption highlights the city’s vulnerability during flooding events.
“Every time the river rises, the city’s access routes become limited. When the main bridge closes, there are few dependable alternatives,” a disaster response official said.
On Wednesday, the city government announced the reopening of Buntun Bridge as the river flow was observed to have subsided.
Several ongoing bridge projects in Tuguegarao have come under public scrutiny because of allegations that these are being handled by JLL Pulsar Construction, a company that critics claim is linked to Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph “Jojo” Lara.
Civic groups allege that the firm is operating using nominees or “dummies” to secure public infrastructure contracts.
Lara has publicly denied exercising control over contractors and has stated that he has no direct involvement in the procurement of DPWH projects.
No formal findings from national oversight bodies have been released regarding the allegations.
Pinacanauan Bridge 2
The Pinacanauan Bridge 2 project, intended to serve as an alternative east-side crossing to reduce dependence on Buntun, remains incomplete.
Data from DPWH and reports submitted to the local government indicate that the project is estimated to cost P1.7 billion.
Progress reports submitted in June 2025 show that two packages were completed, a third is at 98 percent completion, while the fourth and fifth packages stood at 50.78 percent and 0.55 percent completion, respectively.
Construction lulls were attributed partly to weather, though local observers note that most months during 2023–2025 were dry.
The project is still not operational as of this week.
Caggay–Larion (Dondoyan) Bridge
The Caggay–Larion, or Dondoyan Bridge, remains unused more than 10 years after the structure was erected, with controversies linked to former Rep. Randolph Ting and former Mayor Jefferson Soriano.
Only the superstructure stands; approach roads and load-bearing tests have not been completed.
Tuguegarao Mayor Maila Ting-Que said the project stalled after allocations were diverted by the previous administration, and attempts to resume testing and completion have supposedly been blocked in the city council.
The city government has sought national intervention to verify the bridge’s structural integrity and determine whether it can still be completed.
Tuguegarao–Solana Bridge
The Tuguegarao–Solana Bridge remains under construction, with unclear details on how much funding has been allotted, and for how long it would take to complete.
While delayed construction is ongoing, a temporary overflow steel bridge was installed to allow movement of construction equipment and, at times, light vehicles.
It has now been submerged due to the rising Cagayan River.
‘Bridge to nowhere’
The Tuguegarao–Enrile Bridge, which was envisioned to cross the Cagayan River and connect Barangay Gosi in Tuguegarao to Barangay Alibago in Enrile, remains incomplete.
The approach road construction and right-of-way settlements have not been finalized, according to records.
In December 2024, a section of the bridge approach project collapsed before it could be opened for public use.
Enrile Mayor Miguel Decena questioned why construction proceeded despite reports that the area was classified as a no-build zone.
He said several affected landowners had yet to be compensated despite a stated right-of-way allocation of P432 million.
A formal complaint has reportedly been filed with oversight agencies.
14 years to build, 4 weeks to crumble
The collapse of the Sta. Maria–Cabagan Bridge earlier this year also continues to affect mobility between Cagayan and Isabela.
The 990-meter bridge — a major river crossing of the Cagayan River, collapsed on the evening of 27 February, forcing commuters to revert to longer, more congested detours.
It took the DPWH and its projects contractors 14 years to build the bridge — severely delayed by more than a decade.
The bridge, which was begun in November 2014 and was completed just weeks prior to its collapse, comprised 12 arch spans which has become popular among residents for Instagram snaps.
The effect on mobility has been severe: commuters between western Cagayan province and eastern Isabela now must take longer detour routes, many of which route through the city of Tuguegarao City, adding time, fuel cost and congestion to daily travel.
Local transport groups say the collapse has compounded an already fragile infrastructure network in Cagayan Valley.
Piggatan Bridge (Alcala)
In Alcala, the Piggatan Bridge collapse has forced travelers heading to northern Cagayan towns — including Gattaran, Lasam, and Aparri — to divert through interior routes that redirect traffic back toward Tuguegarao.
The detour has increased travel times by more than an hour and added strain to the remaining functional road network.
The DPWH is rushing construction of a temporary detour bridge beside the fallen structure.
‘Lifelines vs floods’
Disaster risk specialists warn that reliance on only a few operational bridges places Tuguegarao at high risk during extreme weather events.
With more intense rainfall patterns expected, mobility disruptions could extend to emergency response, food supply movements, and hospital access.
“Bridges are not just transport links. During floods, they determine whether communities can evacuate, access healthcare, or receive supplies,” a city engineer said. #
