Japan’s JFE Engineering and local contractor First Balfour have won a $120m contract to renovate two bridges over the river Pasig in the Metro Manila area.

The Guadalupe Bridge and Lambingan Bridge are located on arterial roads and both require renovation to strengthen their seismic resistance and increase their carrying capacity.

JFE notes that in the event of a natural disaster, the bridges would be essential to prevent the Pasig becoming a barrier.

On the 59-year-old Guadalupe Bridge, the team will replace the concrete structure with steel and reinforce the substructure using a Japanese technology known as “the Gyropress method“.

The project is part of an official development assistance programme being run by the government of Japan to promote “visible assistance” to the countries in the region. The aim is to increase Tokyo’s influence by facilitating technology transfer and spreading the benefits of Japan’s advanced technology.