Crossing the Sacobia-Bamban River system is the Bamban Bridge along the MacArthur Highway between Mabalacat, Pampanga and Bamban, Tarlac. This Nielsen-Lohse basket arch bridge is one of the most modern and sleek-looking bridges in the country; see this ground-level photo from DPWH.
The original Bamban Bridge was destroyed in 1991 when Pinatubo erupted, cutting off vital transportation routes since MacArthur Highway is the major link between northern Luzon and Manila. Various other bridges were erected in place soon after but each one was washed away too, forcing some Baguio vacationers from Manila to take the Concepcion, Tarlac route.
The bridge’s arch has a span of 174 meters and contains 1,400 tons of steel. It is one of the longest bridges of its type in the world and was completed sometime around 1998. It is quite a landmark in an area devastated by Pinatubo’s eruption.
Looking around the area in Google Maps, you can see that the lahar system has stabilized and lush vegetation now covers land that was once desolate.
Download KML file (for Google Earth)
4 people have responsed to “Bamban Bridge”
Wow, I didn’t know we had a bridge that looks that cool.
When I visited Bamban in 1995, we crossed over a bridge made of coconut logs in the same spot where the new bridge is.Tavel was very difficult because of the lahar flows from the Pinitubo eruption.The bridge has really helped that area with economic growth.
Check it out on Google Earth!
@Paul, yep, I remember crossing that river on various temporary bridges in the mid 90s going to Baguio.
And yes, I usually check the places I feature on Google Earth. Hehehe.
mabuti nman at nagkakaroon na sa pinas ng mga ganyang infrastructure.. masyado n tayong nahuhuli kumpara sa ibang bansa, nung time ni Marcos tayo ang laging ahead between the other Southeast Asian countries.. ngyon napag iwanan na tayo ng Thailand at Malaysia.. What a stupid government we have now?!!