The Panguil Bay Bridge, Mindanao's longest bridge under construction, is now 88 percent complete.
The Lanao del Norte province wants it opened sooner by fielding its own equipment.
In a statement on Tuesday, Governor Imelda Dimaporo said the acquisition of added equipment, such as an amphibious excavator, can fast-track the dredging not only of the silted shores along Panguil Bay but also the rivers along provincial roads.
"This equipment can be used to clean clogged wastes in our waters to avoid contamination of our fish," she said.
Provincial engineer Marietta Borilla said the local government also purchased several six-wheeler dump trucks.
Borilla said the excavator can be rented out by other national line agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for areas that are struggling with coastal and river siltation.
The PHP6.4-billion Panguil Bay Bridge will connect the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental with a distance of 3.7 kilometers.
Delegates from Bicol Region's National Economic Development Authority recently visited the bridge site and studied the possibilities of conducting a similar project. By Nef Luczon
Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency
