San Juanico Bridge

The San Juanico Bridge, is a suspension bridge in the Philippines stretching from Samar to Leyte crossing the San Juanico Strait. It is also known as the “Marcos Bridge”, it is said to have been presented as a “gift and testimonial love” by the Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos to the first lady Imelda, a native of Leyte. It is part of the Pan-Philippine Highway. It is the longest bridge in the Philippines with a length of 2.16 kilometers and is considered one of the most beautifully-designed bridges in Philippines. The bridge is supported by 43 spans rising 41 meters above the sea. It has a large arch beneath which allows boats to pass.

Connecting Tacloban City on the Leyte side and Santa Rita town on the Samar side, it offers many picturesque views, especially of the San Juanico Strait with its thousand whirlpools as well as the islets of the province. It is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Tacloban City and is accessible by passenger jeepney, bus, motorcab or private vehicle.

Construction on the 21.9 million-dollar bridge began in 1969 and was completed in 1973, during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. The Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine National Construction Corporation) was contracted to construct the actual bridge, and together with Japanese engineers, conducted studies and designed the actual project.