Earlier this year, Eastern Visayas was placed under a State of Calamity for one year to expedite the repair of the San Juanico Bridge. With the full repair of the 2.16-kilometer bridge set to cost nearly PHP 6 billion, it's going to be quite the expenditure for the Philippine government. But since the San Juanico Bridge serves as a vital connection between Samar & Leyte, it's necessary for the Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH) to get on it.

To help alleviate some traffic flow, the DPWH announced they are set to build a second San Juanico Bridge. Construction is scheduled to begin before 2028 and will be built adjacent to the original bridge. It will also reportedly cost around PHP 9.17 billion and will measure 2.6 kilometers.

Now, the DPWH and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have successfully concluded the wrap-up meeting for the ongoing Fact-Finding Mission on the Second San Juanico Bridge (SSJB) Construction Project.

Held last July 25, 2025, the meeting served as a key milestone in the project, with DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain engaging with officials from JICA Headquarters—Takehiro Kido, Risa Aramaki, and Saiko Yamazaki; JICA Philippine Office Senior Representative Keisuke Fukui; and members of the JICA Study Team for SSJB, Takeyuki Takada and Buntaro Shiono.

The meeting concluded JICA's fact-finding activities and set the stage for the finalization of the feasibility study of the SSJB Construction Project. The final report is expected to be submitted by September 2025.

As for the design of the SSJB, it will incorporate several advanced Japanese technologies to ensure long-term reliability and operational efficiency. Key innovations such as paint life extension steel to enhance durability and reduce maintenance requirements; composite slab technology to shorten construction time and ease maintenance; and seismic isolation bearings to improve earthquake resilience will also be included.

With repairs currently ongoing for the San Juanico Bridge, the SSJB Construction Project will help take some load off the original bridge, which was first opened in 1973.