Santa Cruz Bridge
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz Bridge was a bridge that spanned the Pasig River
in the city of Manila
in the Republic of the Philippines. The steel
truss bridge
was the fourth to span the river connecting the district of Santa Cruz
from Plaza Goiti to Calle Arroceros in the old city center of Manila
. The construction of the bridge was started by the Spanish colonial government in Manila but completed by the Americans
after gaining sovereignty
of the country from Spain
after the Spanish-American War
. The bridge was opened on March 1, 1902 but was destroyed in World War II
during the liberation of Manila. A different style of bridge was constructed after the war and the span was renamed as MacArthur Bridge.
, two in number, and abutment
s were built to low-water mark, when the work ceased.
This bridge was begun December, 1900. The steel for the work arrived on time in March 1901, but the contractors for the masonry had not set a stone in the piers or abutments. The work was then taken from them and carried on by hired labor.
To insure the most rapid progress it was decided to use concrete
for the body of piers, abutments and approach walls instead of cut stone masonry
, and to use a cap of hard cut stone coping
. The concrete was bedded with framework of steel rails.
A quarry
was opened at Mariveles, Bataan
, 30 miles (48.3 km) from Manila across Manila Bay
, in which coping stone was cut and from which about 800 cubic metres (28,251.7 cu ft) of broken stone was taken. A stone crusher
was installed in Manila at the bridge site and stone was crushed for concrete
there.
Work began in the middle of March. By the end of the fiscal year in June, the concrete of both the piers and abutments, aggregating 1750 cubic metres (61,800.7 cu ft) was in place. Advertising was done in attempt to secure a contract for erecting the bridge, with not one responsible and reasonable bid.
On August 7, 1901, the present abutments were practically completed and erection of iron work begun. The falsework
for the first span was in position, and with the exception of the erecting traveler all was ready to proceed with the erection of the first span.
The work continued till the following year and was completed and officially opened on March 1, 1902.
Pasig River
The Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
in the city of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Republic of the Philippines. The steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
was the fourth to span the river connecting the district of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Manila
Santa Cruz is located on the right bank of the Pasig River, on the northern portion of the City of Manila, near the mouth of the river, in between the districts of Tondo and Quiapo...
from Plaza Goiti to Calle Arroceros in the old city center of Manila
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
. The construction of the bridge was started by the Spanish colonial government in Manila but completed by the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after gaining sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
of the country from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
after the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. The bridge was opened on March 1, 1902 but was destroyed in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
during the liberation of Manila. A different style of bridge was constructed after the war and the span was renamed as MacArthur Bridge.
Spanish Colonial Period
During the last few years of the Spanish Government in the islands, a bridge was in the project to span across the Pasig from the district of Santa Cruz at Plaza Goiti (now Plaza Lacson) to the south bank of the river connecting to Calle Arroceros (now Padre Burgos St.). The foundations were put down and the piersPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
, two in number, and abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s were built to low-water mark, when the work ceased.
American Colonial Era
When the American Government took charge, it was decided to complete the work. Proposals for the steelwork were advertised for in June and July, 1900. The bids were opened in August, but owing to an irregularity in the opening of bids, all bids were rejected. The matter was finally settled in October, 1900, by purchasing the bridge offered by the original lowest bidder. In the meanwhile nothing had been done toward starting the work on the piers, abutments and approaches. In October plans and specifications for the abutments, piers and approaches were made, and in the month of November proposals were asked for by advertisement. Rids were opened December 1st. The three bids received were of $95,000.00, $89,542.50, and $53,387.50, all U. S. currency. The lowest bid was accepted. The contract called for the piers and abutments by April l, and of the entire work by June 1, 1901.This bridge was begun December, 1900. The steel for the work arrived on time in March 1901, but the contractors for the masonry had not set a stone in the piers or abutments. The work was then taken from them and carried on by hired labor.
To insure the most rapid progress it was decided to use concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
for the body of piers, abutments and approach walls instead of cut stone masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, and to use a cap of hard cut stone coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
. The concrete was bedded with framework of steel rails.
A quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
was opened at Mariveles, Bataan
Mariveles, Bataan
Mariveles is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,844 people in 19,460 households...
, 30 miles (48.3 km) from Manila across Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
, in which coping stone was cut and from which about 800 cubic metres (28,251.7 cu ft) of broken stone was taken. A stone crusher
Crusher
A crusher is a machine designed to reduce large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel, or rock dust. Crushers may be used to reduce the size, or change the form, of waste materials so they can be more easily disposed of or recycled, or to reduce the size of a solid mix of raw materials , so that pieces...
was installed in Manila at the bridge site and stone was crushed for concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
there.
Work began in the middle of March. By the end of the fiscal year in June, the concrete of both the piers and abutments, aggregating 1750 cubic metres (61,800.7 cu ft) was in place. Advertising was done in attempt to secure a contract for erecting the bridge, with not one responsible and reasonable bid.
On August 7, 1901, the present abutments were practically completed and erection of iron work begun. The falsework
Falsework
Falsework consists of temporary structures used in construction to support spanning or arched structures in order to hold the component in place until its construction is sufficiently advanced to support itself...
for the first span was in position, and with the exception of the erecting traveler all was ready to proceed with the erection of the first span.
The work continued till the following year and was completed and officially opened on March 1, 1902.