Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda urged cargo haulers and truckers to comply with weight limits on the Candaba Viaduct of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) as well as national roads and bridges amid reports of overloaded vehicles still passing through those thoroughfares.
The governor issued the appeal as he expressed concern for Pampanga’s economy should any portion of the almost 50-year-old Candaba Viaduct or roads and bridges be damaged.
Only vehicles with weight of 33 tons are allowed to pass the viaduct.
Vehicles carrying beyond the 33-ton limit but are covered by gross vehicle weight in Republic Act No. 8794 have been required to use alternate routes on the MacArthur Highway, provincial and local thoroughfares in Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecjia.
The governor asked NLEX Corp. to deploy additional personnel to enforce the law.
“We should all protect the Candaba Viaduct including national roads and bridges,” Pineda said, echoing his message in a meeting with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of the Interior and Local Government on December 5.
“If the anti-overloading law is strictly enforced by the HPG and LTO, the national and local governments can spend less on road maintenance. Then more public funds can be spent on services,” the governor said.
