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San Juanico Bridge was the longest bridge in the Philippines

The iconic San Juanico Bridge or Tulay ng San Juanico was the longest operating bridge connecting Samar to Leyte across the San Juanico Strait. The title of the longest bridge will soon be replaced when CCLEX opens this April 2022.

It was constructed during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos through Japanese Official Development Assistance loans. The bridge’s design reflected the boldness of Marcos’ projects despite having little traffic from the provinces of Samar to Leyte. It has now become a huge tourist attraction.

The bridge was one of the high-visibility foreign loan projects initiated by Marcos during the run-up to the 1969 presidential election. It was inaugurated and opened to the public on July 2, 1973, on the birthday of her wife, Imelda Marcos. San Juanico bridge is born out of love. It was said that Ferdinand Marcos built the bridge as a grand personal gift to his wife since she grew up in Leyte and wanted a bridge for the province.

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It is currently the longest operating bridge in the country, but CCLEX will soon replace the title in Cebu.
It is currently the longest operating bridge in the country, but CCLEX will soon replace the title in Cebu.
The bridge connects the provinces of Samar and Leyte.
The bridge connects the provinces of Samar and Leyte.

The bridge has a total length of 2.16 kilometers and 10.6 meters wide and is currently the longest operating bridge spanning a body of seawater in the Philippines.

How to Get There:

From Cebu, you can easily fly to Tacloban with daily flights from Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. After arriving, you can rent a motorcycle (tricycle) or car to get you to the bridge. San Juanico Bridge is about 15 minutes away from Tacloban City. You can stop by the bridge’s ends to take some pictures.

The bridge that was born of love, and the scenic views along the San Juanico strait, is a joyride not to be missed.

Location Information:

Maharlika Highway, Brangay Cabalawan, Tacloban City.

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