Photo credit: The Department of Public Works and Highways
Progress of the Panguil Bay Bridge Project, the longest water-spanning bridge in Northern Mindanao, is now more visible at 63 percent complete as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started constructing the bridge top slab on both ends in Tangub, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain in his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said that bored piling works on the seabed for the 32 pylon, a structure that provides support for the 3.17-kilometer bridge across Panguil Bay, are all completed and a lot of machinery for bridge construction are in full gear working forward to the main bridge pylons 1 and 2.
“By working round-the-clock and further improve the formulated measures to catch up the delays brought by previous suspension of activities due to COVID-19 pandemic from March 16 - July 2020, we will be able to finish the project toward the goal of having first traffic cross the bridge by first half of 2024”, said Senior Undersecretary Sadain.
Senior Undersecretary Sadain in his inspection on Thursday, March 9, 2023 has instructed anew the contractor Namkwang Engineering & Construction Corporation in Joint Venture with Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang Construction Co., Ltd. as well as engineering consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation in joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co., Ltd to complete the work at an accelerated pace.
A flagship infrastructure project, the two-way two-lane Panguil Bay Bridge will connect Tangub, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte to just 7 minutes.
Present connectivity between Ozamis City/Tangub City and Tubod through Roll-On, Roll Off (RoRo) vessel is about one (1) and a half hour to two (2) and a half hour including loading and unloading time while land travel over a distance of 100 kilometer is at two (2) to two (2) and a half hour.
Senior Undersecretary Sadain was joined in the project visit by DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim; Project Managers Teresita V. Bauzon, Marlon B. Galerio, and Norman I. Puy; and District Engineer Maria B. David.
Costing ₱7.37 Billion and funded by a loan agreement between Government of the Philippines (GOP) and Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank), the project will enhance transportation capacity and efficiency in contributing to Mindanao socio-economic development.
The design and build of Panguil Bay Bridge, being implemented by the DPWH UPMO Operations is included in the DPWH program for integrated and seamless transport system to enhance inter-island connectivity through the construction of short and long-span bridges.
The program also involves the improvement of the logistics infrastructure network in Mindanao and develop a transport system that have significant impact on plan of action to boost tourism, agriculture and industrial sectors by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Other DPWH UPMO Operation’s long-span bridge projects are the 3.9 kilometer Samal Island - Davao Bridge, the 32 kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, construction of 32 kilometer bridges that will connect Panay, Guimaras and Negros, and 3.3 kilometer Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge.
Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways
