THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) yesterday said it will help the proponent of the P27-billion Cordova-Cebu City Bridge to connect all the national highways.
DPWH 7 Director Ador Canlas said the project is under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme between the Cordova Municipal Government and the Cebu City Government.
Project proponent Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) of businessman Manuel Pangilinan, will build the bridge.
MPTC proposed to build the project for P17 billion, but this was raised to P27 billion when it was already approved.
“What we can contribute to the project is to expand our existing highways that will connect to the bridge either in the Cordova or Cebu City side,” Canlas said.
Canlas said that in the Cebu City side, the new bridge will link with the viaduct of the existing bridge that leads to the Plaza Independencia underpass. In the Cordova side, it will connect to the highway that links the Mactan Circumferential Road.
In a separate interview, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that the bridge between Cebu City and Cordova will complement a proposed bridge from Cordova, Cebu to Jetafe, Bohol.
At present, no vessel can sail during typhoon signal number one. But with the bridge, vehicles can still travel between Cebu and Bohol despite a storm signal. (EOB)