Contractor told to preserve old Franklin Bridge
THE remnants of the old Franklin Bridge, destroyed by the big flood of 1935, will be preserved as a reminder of the past for present and future Dagupeños.
This was assured during a dialogue called by the city’s Heritage Commission, headed by Carmen Prieto, with officials of the city engineering office and Toyo Construction, the Japanese contractor building the P903 million new Pantal bridge.
Toyo Construction assured that only two bays of the old Franklin Bridge will be affected but said it will restore whatever portion of the old structure that would be destroyed.
Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez said the people of Dagupan have a special attachment to the old Franklin Bridge since this was the only bridge that linked Dagupan to Lingayen before the war.
The remnants of the old Franklin bridge struts by few meters from the bank of the Calmay River. The new Pantal Bridge is being built over the area where the Pantal and Calmay rivers meet.
Along with many other historical sites in Dagupan, the remnant of the old Franklin bridge was declared as a heritage site by the National Historical Institute (NHI)
Fernandez said the old Franklin Bridge was believed to have been built in 1920 during the American regime.
However, in the big flood of 1935, a large portion of the Franklin bridge was washed out to the Lingayen Gulf and was never restored.
Also washed out was the San Albertos Magnus College, one of the earliest Catholic institutions in Dagupan City and Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, the Home Economics building of the West Central Elementary School is now being restored through the initiative of the National Historical Commission (NHI).
The H.E. building served as a command post of General Douglas Mac Arthur after the American liberation Forces landed in Dagupan on January 9, 1945.
The edifice is now one of the many heritage sites of Dagupan City.
The restoration work was inspected last Wednesday by Rey Inovero, NHI chief; and his assistant Architect Louie Valerio, along with Vice Mayor Fernandez and Prieto. — LM
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