1968 (original bridge) December 4, 2018 (new bridge)
Rebuilt
2015
Location
The Otis Bridge is a six-lane girder bridge crossing the Estero de Concordia, a tributary of the Pasig River, in Manila, Philippines. Constructed in 1968, it carries Paz Mendoza Guazon Street, formerly known as Otis Street (named after the American Governor-GeneralElwell Stephen Otis). The bridge is a major artery for commercial vehicles carrying cargo from the Port of Manila,[2] with around 10,000 trucks crossing the bridge daily.[3]
In 2015, the bridge was slated for replacement or reconstruction as it neared the end of its 50-year service life,[3] with ₱37,000,000 initially being allocated for construction work by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).[4] However, on June 26, 2018, the bridge was ordered closed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on the advice of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council[5] after media reports showed that 20-foot (6.1 m) long cracks started appearing along the center island, caused by the number of overloaded trucks that used the bridge,[6] as well as construction work on the nearby Concordia Bridge which prevented its timely replacement.[4]
The bridge was reopened on December 4, 2018, three months ahead of the March 2019 target date, with ₱217,000,000 being allocated from the national budget for its replacement.[7][3] Construction took place 24/7 in phases until the project was completed.[6][8]