The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will construct three new bridges in Marikina as part of the government's efforts to improve land transportation access leading to and from Metro Manila.
DPWH Secretary Roger G. Mercado announced on Thursday, March 31, that Asian Development Bank will co-financed the construction of the bridges to help solve the increasingly severe traffic problem in Metro Manila.
“A loan agreement with ADB is an exciting assurance of the construction of three new climate and disaster-resilient bridges and an added training program to strengthen DPWH institutional capacity in bridge operation and maintenance,” Mercado said.
He also said that the ceremonial exchange of financing agreements between ADB and the national government was held recently, amounting to $175 million (over P9 billion).
These bridges include the Marcos Highway-Saint Mary Bridge with 1,582.6 meters in length; Homeowners Drive-A. Bonifacio Ave. Bridge with 691 meters length; and Kabayani-Matandang Balara Bridge with 723.2 meters length, as per DPWH.
Meanwhile, DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain said that ADB supported other agency projects, including the ongoing detailed engineering design of the Bataan – Cavite Interlink Bridge and Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project and the ongoing civil works construction of the Improving Growth Network – Mindanao Sector Improvement Project.
“These ADB-assisted big-ticket projects will ensure the sustainability of infrastructure development under the Build, Build, Build Program even beyond the term of President Duterte,” Sadain said.