I wish we stopped when we reached this bridge to enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains, river and sea. But having been on the road for 10 hours, all we wanted was to reach our first destination, Vigan, which is a little more than a kilometer away from this bridge. These are drive-by shots when we were crossing Quirino Bridge.
The 456-meter Quirino Bridge in Bantay, Ilocos Sur is named after the late Elpidio Quirino, the 6th president of the Philippines and a native of Ilocos Sur. It's a new bridge and part of the Japan-funded construction program which plans to replace old bridges with new bridges on national roads that lead to urban centers all over the country.
crossing Quirino Bridge to Vigan
From the railings of Quirino Bridge, the old Banaoang Bridge can be seen. Both bridges spread across the Abra River connecting the rocky mountain slopes of Ilocos Range in the towns of Santa and Bantay.
Banaoang Bridge is a truss bridge that survived the bombings during World War II. It is famous for its excellent engineering, architectural design and magnificent views. At the height of a strong typhoon in 2001, one of its steel spans was damaged and washed away. I don't know if motorists still use this old bridge.
This bridge is about 406 kilometers north of Manila.
Posted for Sunday Bridges
