THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is about to bridge the travel gap between the Provinces of Bataan and Cavite with the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project.
DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar declared the start of detailed engineering design (DED) activities for the mega bridge project that 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”, said Villar.
Part of the government’s Build, Build, Build Program, the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project involves the construction of a 32.15-kilometer four-lane (two lanes each direction) bridge starting from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan, crossing Manila Bay and terminating in Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite.
Other than reducing 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 the development of seaports of Cavite and Bataan as premier international shipping gateway to the country, Villar added.
As authorized through a memorandum by Villar, Undersecretary for Unified Management Office Operations (UPMO) Emil K. Sadain signed on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, the contract agreement of consulting services for the DED amounting P3.03 billion with the bid winning consultants procured by ADB.
Parties to the contract agreement that gives the green light to conduct the DED from November 2020 to January 2022 are T.Y. Lin International Senior Vice President Sajid Abbas, Pyunghwa Engineering Executive Vice President Soo Young Park, Renardet S.A. Director Michele Coangelo, DCCD Engineering Corporation President Michael Roberto P. Reyes, and Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim of the implementing office DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral). The signing ceremony was attended by UPMO Project Managers Teresita V. Bauzon and Soledad R. Florencio and virtually witnessed by officials of ADB Philippine Country Office led by Director Kelly Bird.
According to Sadain, the DED scheduled from November 2020 to January 2022 will be funded by additional financing for the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) under a signed loan agreement last December 2019 between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Department of Finance.
The soon to be largest and longest iconic bridge will be the faster way by land from Cavite to Bataan and vice versa with motorists directly traveling between Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog, said Undersecretary Sadain.
The present five-hour travel time will be reduced to 20 to 30 minutes with 60 kilometers per hour speed with the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, Sadain added.
It involves the construction of two navigation bridges, the North Channel Bridge and South Channel Bridge, with a main span of 400 meters and 900 meters, respectively.
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.