Up and Under the Old Bridge of Cebu

morning rush in the bridge

What: Cebu-Mactan Bridge / Cebu Harbor (Lapu-Lapu side)
Where: Mandaue / Lapu lapu city Cebu
How to get there: 10 minutes from the international airport and about 40 minutes from downtown Cebu.
What to expect: A scenic view of the Cebu City Harbor and skyline and a complete View of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Putting on jogging shoes in the morning would also be nice.

admire the sunrise from the bridge

Much is known and publicized of Cebu’s new bridge ( Marcelo Fernan Bridge ) but little is known about its predecessor the Cebu-Mactan bridge. I decided to make an article about it and some additional information about it. The old bridge is an engineering marvel back when ground breaking started in 1970 since its bridging of the Mactan channel not only made waves in history, but also speeded up economy and has changed the Cebuano lifestyle forever. This box truss bridge was built wholly by Filipino engineers and costs 65 million PHP to construct in the 70’s. It spans roughly a kilometer across (846 meters) and is 9 meters wide.

the view of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge

As a person who didn’t live in Cebu Back in the day that there was no bridge, my imagination was filled with stories of the way life that was far the the daily bridge traffic we all know. Where people would wake up early and ride ferry boats to go to the main island of Cebu. One interesting fact that I learned on researching the bridge’s history was that Lapu Lapu city was called Opon still by the inhabitants. Common misconception is that Opon or Upon was Lapu Lapu’s nickname is a total fallacy. The name of the place came from Cogon grass that abundantly grew in the city. Even though entirely not related to the bridge it was an interesting fact that got my attention.

low tide shore of Lapu Lapu City

The old bridge of Cebu is a famous haunt of joggers and early birds in the morning, you can see people strolling the bridges sides’ enjoying the cold sea driven breeze either on an early morning jog or just to enjoy the view the old bridge still satisfies its daily patrons. One morning a couple of my friends and I decided to experience it ourselves. We rode a jeep bound for Lapu-Lapu city and got down in front of The University of Cebu which was just on the foot of the bridge. We then spanned the bridge and admired the morning view of Cebu City and the Marcelo Fernan bridge across.

a night view of the new bridge from under the old bridge

On another night we decided to go nightscaping in the Lapu-Lapu side and view the Old bridge and the Cebu City harbor at night. We went underneath the bridge at 2am in the morning and went taking pictures. This experience however is not for the faint hearted since what lies beneath the old bridge is a squatter’s area and can be potentially dangerous, if you’re not prepared. Best be in a group and be humble to the locals.

under the superstructure

an old fishing boat under the bridge

a veiw of the old bridge from the Lapu Lapu shoreline

passenger boats used to cross the Mactan channel

Cebu City Harbor at night

So far I enjoyed documenting this somewhat less glorious bridge of Cebu. I hope that people would take care of this marvel in the years to come being a historical landmark and a place where people would go. I hope you guys had fun reading about this. Till next time :D