The historic Tulay ng San Juan (San Juan Bridge or sometimes called Pinaglabanan bridge) that connects the cities of Manila and San Juan will be officially reopened to the public tomorrow, March 10, 2020, by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) after two years of construction.
Initially, the bridge was set for 7 months of restoration work in 2018 until it was completely demolished to give way for the construction of the Skyway Stage 3 project, where barges that will lay the foundations of the new elevated expressway will need to pass.
Bridge of San Juan del Monte (San Juan City), 1899
During the Philippine Revolution, the 40-meter San Juan Bridge served as one of the battlefields between Filipino and Spanish forces, and also during the Philippine-American War between Filipino and American forces.
On January 29, 1899, Colonel Luciano San Miguel, a Filipino Commander, had his first meeting with Colonel John M. Stotsenburg, Commander of the First Nebraska Volunteers on this bridge to discuss the boundaries of their respective forces. On February 4, 1899, an encounter between the Filipino and American forces led to a shooting incident and sparked the Battle of Manila in 1899.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines historical marker that was installed on February 5, 2009, to commemorate the start of the Battle of Manila (1899)
On February 5, 2009, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines installed a historical marker on San Juan River Bridge commemorating its role to the start of the Battle of Manila.
Upon its reopening, it is expected to accommodate around 8,000 to 10,000 motorists daily crossing San Juan to Manila and vice-versa.
