The modern-day Guadalupe Bridge, which is part of EDSA, consists of an inner bridge and two outer bridges.[2]
Plans to finalize the then-partially opened Highway 54 (now EDSA) and link the north and south banks of the Pasig River were conceived in the 1950s.[3] The bridge was originally a narrow bridge that underwent replacement in the 1960s. Construction began in 1962 or 1963 and was finished on November 23, 1966.[4][5] It was later widened beginning in 1974.[6]
The two outer bridges were constructed in 1979 with Umali-Pajara Construction Company as its general contractor. The length of the bridge from its two abutments is 114.44 meters (375.5 ft).[6] The outer bridges have 10 lanes in total and a junction at the Makati side of the bridge connects to J. P. Rizal Avenue. Each outer bridge is around 18.7 meters (61 ft) in width, has 5 lanes that are 3.35 meters (11.0 ft) each and a 1.2-meter (3.9 ft) pedestrian sidewalk near the railings.[7] Located on its median of the road bridge is the Guadalupe station of EDSA Carousel, which began operations in 2020.[8]
A separate but unconnected tied-arch rail bridge of the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 exists above the road bridge. The rail bridge, which hovers above the road bridge and constructed by the EEI Corporation, has a length of 135 meters (443 ft) and a width of 9.1 meters (30 ft).[9]
According to a December 2013 report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Guadalupe Bridge has the highest traffic volume among 12 main bridges in Metro Manila,[10] with 220,000 vehicles crossing the bridge daily.[7]
Planned renovation
By 2016, the bridge has been identified as one of the structures expected to collapse following a hypothetical strong earthquake in Metro Manila.[11] Major repairs were done on the bridge in 2019.[12]
The outer bridges were replaced by three-span steel deck box girders while the inner bridge assessed by JICA to be in good condition was retrofitted.[2] The pedestrian sidewalk was expanded to 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) while the outer bridges continued to have 10 lanes in total.[13]
Retrofitting works on the bridge, funded by JICA, are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2024.[14]