The Mactan–Mandaue Bridge, officially known as Serging Veloso Osmeña Jr. Bridge, also known as the First Cebu-Mactan Bridge is a
truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
that connects the cities of
Mandaue
Mandaue (), officially the City of Mandaue ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Mandaue; fil, Lungsod ng Mandaue), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 364,11 ...
and
Lapu-Lapu in
Metro Cebu
Metropolitan Cebu, or simply Metro Cebu, ( ceb, Kaulohang Sugbo; fil, Kalakhang Cebu), is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the ne ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is one of three bridges that spans across the
Mactan Channel
The Mactan Channel, also known as Opon Channel, is the strait between the island of Cebu and the smaller Mactan Island. The body of water is located within Metro Cebu, separating Mandaue and Cebu City in mainland Cebu from Lapu-Lapu City on Mac ...
, the other being the
Marcelo Fernan Bridge & the
Cebu–Cordova Bridge, and connects the islands of
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...
and
Mactan
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of Cordova. The island is s ...
.
History
On September 19, 1968, Cebu Governor Rene G. Espina, then Acting Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications, met with
Danao Mayor Beatriz Durano,
Samboan Mayor Beatriz Calderon, Mandaue Mayor Demetrio Cortez, and S.C. Shangkuan, the bridge's contractor in
Malacañang Palace
Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...
to discuss with then President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martia ...
, about the construction of the bridge. Construction began in 1970, a year after the ordination of Mandaue as a chartered city. It was inaugurated on July 4, 1973. The bridge was designed and created by Filipino engineers.
In April 2013, the Mactan–Cebu Bridge Management Board renamed the bridge to "Sergio Osmeña Jr. Bridge" in honor of the former senator and Cebu Governor
Sergio Osmeña Jr.
Sergio "Serging" Veloso Osmeña Jr. (December 4, 1916 – March 26, 1984) was a Filipino politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines, and ran against Ferdinand Marcos in the 1969 Philippine Presidential election. He was the son of Se ...
, who was born in the nearby city of
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...
. To formally recognize the renaming of the bridge, on 22 January 2020, then Cebu City Representative
Raul del Mar filed House Bill No. 05997
and has passed Congressional approval.
The bill naming the first Cebu-Mactan bridge Serging Veloso Osmeña Bridge, lapsed into law, as Republic Act # 11828, last June 2, 2022, after former President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
was not able to sign the bill within 30 days.
Description

This bridge sits astride the northern end of the
Mactan Channel
The Mactan Channel, also known as Opon Channel, is the strait between the island of Cebu and the smaller Mactan Island. The body of water is located within Metro Cebu, separating Mandaue and Cebu City in mainland Cebu from Lapu-Lapu City on Mac ...
, which is a gateway to the
Cebu International Port which is managed by the Cebu Port Authority, where about 80% of domestic and international shipping operators and shipbuilders in the Philippines are located. The
Marcelo Fernan Bridge is located about north of the bridge.
The bridge has only one pedestrian walkway, on the south side of the bridge. From Mandaue on Cebu Island, the bridge is accessed via A. C. Cortes Avenue. Lapu-Lapu on Mactan Island is accessed via the Basak–Marigondon Road, which intersects with the Manuel L. Quezon National Highway.
References
External links
Mactan-Mandaue Bridge@ Structurae
WebSite for Mandaue CityWebSite for Lapu-Lapu City
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mactan-Mandaue Bridge
Bridges in the Philippines
Landmarks in the Philippines
Transportation in Cebu
Buildings and structures in Cebu
Buildings and structures in Metro Cebu