With the surrounding access roads and bridges submerged in floodwater, the Municipality of Manaoag decided to open the Oraan East Bridge and Approaches to light vehicles as Typhoons Inday and Josie intensify monsoon rain in the Province of Pangasinan on July 20, 2018.

The Oraan East Bridge and Approaches is a Php20-million infrastructure subproject proposed by the Municipality of Manaoag, Pangasinan to provide alternative access road for the residents of Barangay Oraan East especially during rainy season. With an actual physical progress of 82.95 %, the bridge is about to be accomplished and turned over to the Municipality of Manaoag.

Before the construction of the PRDP bridge, the residents of Barangay Oraan East in Manaoag, Pangasinan use the existing reinforced concrete box culvert (RCBC). Floodwater in the subproject site can reach up to three (3) meters in height from the RCBC. The height of the PRDP bridge is five (5) meters from the RCBC

The Municipality of Manaoag, along with many towns in Pangasinan, was submerged in floodwater after the rain incessantly poured because of Typhoons Inday and Josie. Both typhoons intensified the monsoon rain which is usually experienced by Northern Luzon in the months of June to December.

After the typhoons and intensified monsoon rains passed, the bridge remained open to light vehicles since the contractor only needs to complete the bridge’s approaches. The bridge’s target completion date is within 2018. (Dessa U. Estrada, RPCO 1 InfoACE)