STA. BARBARA –The new Maramba bridge, a vital link between the poblacion here and Calasiao town, is set for completion by early December this year although work has just resumed.

Municipal Administrator Albertini De Guazman revealed that work was suspended for a month to allow the Japanese-owned Toyo Construction to revise the design of the project, from the former four-column footing to only two-column footing.

He said the contractor found the two-column footing is more advisable than the four-column footing as water of the Sinocalan River in Sta. Barbara used to rise every rainy season, regularly flooding the town.

When floodwater rises, it carries with it debris that get caug
ht in the middle bridge column footing. Reducing the column footing could thus greatly prevent this problem, he said.

The Maramba Bridge, built during the post-war era, was recommended for replacement because it is usually swamped by floodwaters of the Sinocalan River every rainy season.

Projected to be finished before the town fiesta of Sta. Barbara in December, barring natural delays, the new Maramba Bridge will replace an old structure built before the post-war period..

He said aside from constructing the bridge, Toyo Construction committed to dredge the Sinocalan River 100 meters downward of the bridge and 100 meters upward of it.

Velasco asked Toyo Construction that it just dredge portions of the river instead of building a temporary detour bridge, aside from providing concrete abutment of the dike.