Candaba Viaduct, Elevated highway bridge in Apalit, Philippines
The Candaba Viaduct is a concrete bridge that spans across the Candaba Swamp, linking Pulilan in Bulacan to Apalit in Pampanga. The road carries six lanes of traffic over the wetland, creating a passage through terrain that would otherwise be difficult to cross.
The bridge opened in 1976 as a key part of the North Luzon Expressway. It created a permanent crossing through the swamp for the first time, connecting two important regions that had previously lacked a direct link.
The bridge represents Philippine engineering advancement, rising 20 feet above the swamp to maintain regional connectivity during seasonal flooding periods.
The bridge is open to traffic around the clock and has emergency call boxes and surveillance cameras for safety. Drivers should expect some wear on the road surface given the decades of use the structure has endured.
For nearly five decades, this was the longest bridge in the country until a newer structure surpassed it in 2021. Its long reign as the nation's biggest structure of its kind made it an emblem of an entire era of transportation development.
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