bangued's posts with tag: arco
|  | Found mainly in Zones 1 to 7, these arch bridges made out of nadrillo were probably built in early 19th century (when Abra was still a sub-province of Ilocos Sur) or late 19th century (when the seat of government was transferred from Bucay to Bangued).
Yesterday I e-mailed Arch. Manolo Noche, an architectural historian, and in his reply he explained that "the details of the history of the bridge should be inscribed in a plaque on the bridge railings. Sadly if this is no longer there then it is pure speculation as to when or who built said bridge. Usually bridges from the era are named after the reigning monarch as such it would be usually called Puente de la Reina, or Puente del Rey, though local names too which probably in time would result in bridges being named otherwise."
Among these short bridges, "Taft Street Bridge" located near Blanco and Valera Houses stands out because of its decorative parapet. It's quite disappointing though that the arco or arch has been covered with trash and mud. However, one can still find the double arches of a bridge near what was once a village of brick houses in Balliling, now barangay Zone 7.
Today, these bridges are less appreciated because they are either left or neglected to decay or "uglified" by past local officials who wanted to display their names up on the parapets or bridge railings.
Can these bridges be restored? Sure but to what extent? Noche added, "As to how the bridge can be restored, sadly the road deck has already been modified and cemented and there is nothing that can be done pertaining to that but what can be achieved is the removal of vines that cling and grow on the bridge walls. Also the clean up of the river bed below can also allow the development of the river, or creek and bridge as a tourist attraction, this has been done to some extent in other colonial spans in the country." |
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