The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stressed Friday, March 10, that the construction of the P7.3 billion Panguil Bay Bridge, the longest water-spanning bridge in Northern Mindanao, was already at 63 percent.
In a report to DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said that the construction work on the bridge top slab at both ends of Tangub, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte have already started.
“By working round-the-clock and further improve (sic) the formulated measures to catch up the delays brought by previous suspension of activities due to Covid-19 pandemic from March 16-July 2020, we will be able to finish the project toward the goal of having first traffic cross the bridge by first half of 2024,” Sadain noted.
Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways / DPWH
DPWH: Construction of P7.3-B Panguil Bay Bridge in Northern Mindanao now at 63%
At a glance
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stressed Friday, March 10, that the construction of the P7.3 billion Panguil Bay Bridge, the longest water-spanning bridge in Northern Mindanao, was already at 63 percent.
In a report to DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said that the construction work on the bridge top slab at both ends of Tangub, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte have already started.
He explained that the bored piling works on the seabed for the 32 pylon, a structure that provides support for the the 3.17-kilometer bridge across Panguil Bay, were all finished and a lot of machinery for the bridge construction are in full gear working forward to the main bridge pylons 1 and 2.
“By working round-the-clock and further improve (sic) the formulated measures to catch up the delays brought by previous suspension of activities due to Covid-19 pandemic from March 16- July 2020, we will be able to finish the project toward the goal of having first traffic cross the bridge by first half of 2024,” Sadain noted.
In an inspection on Thursday, March 9, Sadain instructed the contractor, Namkwang Engineering & Construction Corporation in Joint Venture with Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang Construction Co., Ltd., as well as engineering consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation in joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co. to complete the work at an accelerated pace.
A flagship infrastructure project, Sadain bared that the two-way, two-lane Panguil Bay Bridge will enable the public to negotiate Tangub, Misamis Occidental to Tubod, Lanao del Norte at a more comfortable pace.
Present connectivity between Ozamis City/Tangub City and Tubod through roll on, roll off (RoRo) vessel is about one and a half hour to two and a half hours including loading and unloading time while land travel over a distance of 100 kilometer is at two to two and a half hours.
Funded by a loan agreement between government of the Philippines (GOP) and Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank), the project will enhance transportation capacity and efficiency in contributing to Mindanao socio-economic development, the DPWH stated.
The design and build of Panguil Bay Bridge, being implemented by the DPWH UPMO operations, is included in the DPWH program for integrated and seamless transport system to enhance inter-island connectivity through the construction of short and long-span bridges.
The program also involves the improvement of the logistics infrastructure network in Mindanao and development of a transport system that has a significant impact on the plan of action to boost tourism, agriculture, and industrial sectors.
Other DPWH UPMO long-span bridge projects are the 3.9 kilometer Samal Island - Davao Bridge, the 32 kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, construction of 32 kilometer bridges that will connect Panay, Guimaras and Negros, and 3.3 kilometer Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge, the DPWH pointed out.