The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced Friday, July 7, that the construction of the 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge was 73 percent complete already.
*(Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways)
* The Panguil Bay Bridge Project is a two-lane inter-island bridge that will connect Tangub, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte. DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the department targets to achieve 86 percent completion of the bridge towards the end of the year, and full completion of the project by the first half of 2024. He noted that over 400 personnel were working on the project. A financing arrangement between the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) is providing funding for the $7.37 billion bridge project, which consists of prestressed concrete girders and an approach road. The infrastructure project seeks to have a seven-minute inter-island connectivity between Tubod, Lanao del Norte and Tangub, Misamis Occidental. This is in contrast to the current connectivity between Ozamiz City/Tangub City and Tubod through roll-on, roll-off (ro-ro) vessels which has a travel time of approximately two hours to 2.5 hours including loading and unloading time. On the other hand, the current land travel traffic over a distance of 100 kilometers is at two hours to 2.5 hours. (Nicole Magmanlac)