The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that it has signed a P3.03 billion contract for the detailed engineering design (DED) of a 32-km bridge project that will link the provinces of Bataan and Cavite.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said that that the DED activities for the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project has already started and will be carried out in the next 15 months.
“This Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project will provide a permanent road linkage between the two provinces in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog Region in order to reduce the journey time and ease traffic congestion through Metro Manila,” Villar said.
Part of the government’s Build, Build, Build Program, the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project involves the construction of a 32.15-km four-lane bridge starting from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan crossing Manila Bay and terminating in Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite.
“Other than reduce travel time and lower vehicle operating costs, the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project will provide opportunities for expansion outside Metro Manila for economic growth as well as support development of seaports of Cavite and Bataan as premier international shipping gateway to the country,” Villar added.
According to Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the DED will be conducted from November 2020 to January 2022 and will be funded by an additional financing for the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) under a signed loan agreement last December 2019 between the Asian Development Bank and Department of Finance.
Sadain said that the soon to be largest and longest iconic bridge will reduce travel time from five hours to just 20-30 minutes
The agency said that it involves the construction of two navigation bridges – the North Channel Bridge and South Channel Bridge with main span of 400 meters and 900 meters, respectively.
The DPWH said that the proposed bridge project is composed of the following: Package 1 – Bataan Land Viaduct (5.04 km), Package 2 – Northern Marine Viaduct (8.0 km), Package 3 – Southern Marine Viaduct (12.6 km), Package 4 – Approach Viaducts to Northern and Southern Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km), Package 5 – Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km), Package 6 – Cavite Land Viaduct (1.31 km), and Package 7 – Ancillary Buildings.