The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is moving to fast-track the reconstruction of a collapsed detour bridge in Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur after an overloaded truck caused it to give way, the agency said Tuesday.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the temporary steel bridge, which was serving as a diversion route while a permanent structure is under construction, failed after a truck exceeding weight limits passed through.

“Meron na namang overloaded na truck na dumaan dun sa temporary bridge na bakal, yung tinatawag nilang daily bridge kasi yung permanent bridge ginagawa. Bumigay po ito dahil sa overloaded,” Dizon said in an interview over DZRH’s Dos Por Dos.

He said the department has already demanded that the trucking company responsible shoulder the cost of the damage.

“Ang unang-una po natin ginawa, nag-demand po tayo dun sa trucking company na nung danyos, kailangan siya magbayad dun sa nasirang bridge na iyon.”

Despite the collapse, Dizon said an embankment detour has already been completed by regional engineers, allowing vehicles to continue passing through the area while reconstruction work proceeds.

Dizon said he will inspect the site on Friday and expressed confidence that the permanent bridge could be completed within May or, at the latest, June.

He also warned that heavy vehicles continue to pose risks to infrastructure nationwide, citing reports of trucks exceeding 50 tons passing through bridges with posted limits of around 30 tons or lower.

“Grabe talagang overloading. Ang nababalita po natin, lampas-lampas po ng 50 tonelada yung dumaan na truck doon. Ang pwede lang doon eh mga 30 lang ata.”

The DPWH chief said the incident highlights long-standing issues in bridge maintenance across the country, noting that many structures are already decades old and have not been properly maintained.

He added that the matter has been reported to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has directed agencies to address the backlog in infrastructure upkeep.

Meanwhile, Dizon also addressed concerns about the San Juanico Bridge, saying it remains passable for heavy vehicles but is undergoing rehabilitation. He said the government aims to restore its original load capacity before the end of 2026.

“Pinapaspasan po natin yan, base sa utos ng Pangulo natin. Ngayon po nakakadaan na po yung mga truck dyan. Nakakadaan na rin yung mga heavy vehicles.”

Across the country, he said, many bridges remain in “problematic” condition due to deferred maintenance and insufficient funding over the years.

“Before the end of this year, yung direktiba ng Pangulo na ibabalik na natin sa original capacity ang San Juanico, magagawa na po natin yan. Pero ano eh, dala yan nang na-neglect talaga yung maintenance.”

Dizon said the DPWH is pushing for stricter enforcement against overloading in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office, as well as the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police.

“Nagusap na kami ni Secretary Banoy [DOTr], at ang sabi nga niya, enforcement talaga ito. Kailangan po talaga humingi tayo ng tulong.”

“Humingi na rin po tayo ng tulong kay [DILG] Secretary Jonvic Remulla at kay Chief PNP Nartates para yung ating highway patrol, talagang mag-enforce nang tama at mag-enforce ng strictly dito sa overloading.”

He also noted plans to strengthen road construction standards, particularly for heavily trafficked highways such as the Maharlika Highway, using more durable reinforced concrete pavement despite higher costs.