Candaba Viaduct

About

The Candaba Viaduct, also known as the Pulilan–Apalit Bridge and the Candaba Pampanga Viaduct, is a 5-kilometer (3.1 mi) viaduct carrying the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) across the Candaba Swamp in the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan, Philippines. It consists of nine lanes, with three northbound and six southbound. Upon its opening in 1977, it was the longest bridge in the Philippines, a distinction it held until 2021, when it was surpassed by the 8.9-kilometer (5.5 mi) Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX). It is currently the second-longest bridge in the country. The viaduct was designed by Aas-Jakobsen and built by Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines (CDCP) as part of the construction of the NLEX. The viaduct is elevated approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) above the Candaba Swamp and Pampanga River, allowing the NLEX to remain open to traffic when the swamp floods during the rainy or monsoon season. Its elevation is approximately the same as the current elevation of Bacolor, Pampanga, which was raised by lahar deposits following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo between 1991 and 1995. The viaduct is equipped with lighting, emergency callboxes, and CCTVs powered by solar panels, as installing power lines along the viaduct is difficult.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.