Photo credit: The Department of Public Works and Highways
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) concluded its two (2) weeks discussion with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Fact-Finding Mission with the aim of obtaining loan approval for the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project by this November 2023.
In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the meetings from June 16 to July 5, 2023 between the ADB Mission and the DPWH through the Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster II (UPMO-RMC II) headed by Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon were geared towards appraising overall project readiness prior to the preparation of loan agreement for the 32-kilometer BCIB Project.
Other than the DPWH, the meetings were participated by the detailed engineering design (DED) consultant TY Lin International, Ltd. in joint venture with Pyungwha Engineering & Consulting Co., Ltd. hired by the government for preparation of the project.
In the wrap-up meeting on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, Senior Undersecretary Sadain expressed appreciation for the active engagement of ADB officials headed by Mr. Witoon Tawisok, Ms. Hiet Thi Hong, Ms. Gengwen Zho, and Ms. Myra Evelyn Ravelo; and the participation of relevant offices including the Department of Finance (DOF) during the Fact-Finding Mission.
ADB together with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has earlier committed to co-finance the civil works construction of Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project targeted to start by 2024.
The BCIB project will be divided into seven (7) contract packages with the construction to begin first in the two (2) on-land packages, package 1 which is the five (5) kilometer Bataan Land Approach and package 2 which is the 1.35 kilometer Cavite Land Approach.
Packages 3 and 4 are Marine Viaducts in the North and South with a total length of 20.65 kilometers.
Meanwhile, packages 5 and 6 are the North Channel and South Channel Bridges with a length of 2.15 and 3.15 kilometers, respectively. The 7th package involves a project-wide ancillary works.
No less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led on March 31, 2023 a milestone ceremony for the Detailed Engineering Design (DED) of Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project at the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific in Mariveles, Bataan.
The DED has taken into consideration various technical challenges such as the severe seismic loads and wind speed in the project area, need for navigation channels to accommodate large cargo vessels, seabed depth of approximately 50 meters for placing the caisson foundation, extreme climate condition and seawater rise due to climate change, etc.
As a result, the final design has included a long cable-stayed bridge at the south channel (between Cavite and Corregidor Island) with the tower height of 380 meters from the sea level.
To ensure strength, serviceability, and durability of the key structural elements, the DPWH construction supervision team will be supported by a project management consultant and engineering/design support consultant.
The feasibility study for the BCIB Project was completed under the ADBs Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) in 2019, in which the preliminary architectural and engineering design has been prepared.
Once this bridge is completed, travel time between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite will be reduced from the current 5 1⁄2 hours to just about 45 minutes, saving more than 4 hours travel time and benefitting thousands of commuters.
Article courtesy of The Department of Public Works and Highways
