CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is optimistic that funding for the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project may be secured by November of this year.
DPWH said on Thursday that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other stakeholders completed their two-week discussions on preparations for the loan agreement on July 5, 2023.
The DPWH said the ADB, together with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), earlier committed to co-finance the civil works of the bridge expected to start by 2024 and completed by middle of 2028.
The P175.6 billion BCIB project is a four-lane 32.15-kilometer bridge stretching from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan to Barangay Timalan Concepcion in Naic, Cavite.
The bridge is designed to reduce travel time between the two provinces from five-and-a-half hours to just 45 minutes.
The project is divided into seven contract packages – the 5-km. Bataan Land approach, the 1.35-km. Cavite Land approach, the 20.65-km.-long North and South marine viaducts, the 2.15-km. North Channel Bridge, the 3.15-km. South Channel Bridge, and the project-wide ancillary works for the seventh package.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last March 31, 2023 led the detailed engineering design ceremony for the BCIB at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Mariveles, Bataan.