Description of the attraction
The San Juanico Bridge, part of the Pan-Philippine Highway, connects the shores of the Samar and Leyte Islands, between which the San Juanico Strait stretches. Its longest part is a steel viaduct, built on a reinforced concrete overpass, and the main span is in the form of an arch with through trusses. The total length of the bridge is 2,162 m, which makes it the longest not only in the Philippines, but throughout Southeast Asia. In addition, San Juanico is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the country.
In total, the bridge consists of 43 spans, and under the main bridge, which rises 41 meters above sea level, medium-sized vessels can pass. Construction of the San Juanico Strait Bridge began in 1969, and four years later, in 1973, the city of Tacloban on Leyte Island and the city of Santa Rita on Samar Island were connected. Then the bridge was named Marcos Bridge, because it was built during the reign of President Ferdinand Marcos. It is said to have been presented as a kind of gift and declaration of love from the Philippine President to First Lady Imelda Marcos, a native of Leyte Island. The construction of the bridge cost $ 21.9 million.
Today, a trip across the San Juanico Bridge from Tacloban to Santa Rita gives travelers wonderful views of the eponymous strait lying below, with many islets and small bays. The bridge entrance is a 10-minute drive from the Tacloban business center.
It is fair to say that the Candaba Bridge on Luzon Island is longer than San Juanico, but this land bridge, built over rivers, streams and swampy lowlands, is much less impressive.
