The Philippine government is targeting the award of a key construction contract for the $3.91-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge by November, advancing the planned 32.15-kilometre transport link across Manila Bay.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the government was awaiting concurrence from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) before awarding Package 6, which he described as the most critical part of the project.
“We will award Package 6, which is the most critical part of Bataan-Cavite, within November,” Dizon told reporters on the sidelines of an Infrastructure Forum organised by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on 19 October.
The contract award remains subject to the ADB's clearance, he said, declining to identify the prospective contractor.
The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is designed to connect Mariveles in Bataan with Naic in Cavite, providing a direct road link between Central Luzon and Calabarzon without requiring motorists to travel through Metro Manila.
The project is expected to reduce travel time between the two provinces to about 45 minutes from the current five and a half hours, improving the movement of passengers and freight while providing an alternative route around the capital's congested roads.
Six construction packages
The project is divided into six contract packages covering land approaches, marine viaducts and cable-stayed bridge sections.
The government has already awarded contracts for the two land approaches connecting the bridge to existing road networks in Bataan and Cavite.
Package 1, covering the Bataan land approach, was awarded to a consortium of China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. and Fujian Road & Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd.
Package 2, covering the 1.3-kilometre Cavite land approach, was awarded in November 2025 to a consortium comprising China Wu Yi, Jinan Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd. and CM Pancho Construction Inc.
The remaining packages cover the marine viaducts, navigational-channel bridge spans and high-level approaches. Package 6 is among the critical sections needed to advance the main bridge construction.
The planned structure will feature two cable-stayed spans measuring 900 metres and 400 metres, alongside about 24 kilometres of marine and land viaducts and approach roads.
Once completed, it is expected to become the Philippines' longest water-spanning bridge, strengthening connections between Central Luzon, Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region.
Multibillion-dollar financing
The ADB approved financing of up to $2.11 billion for the project in 2023, while the Philippine government committed $664.23 million in counterpart funding, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The bridge is intended to close a major gap in the country's road network around Manila Bay, improve regional connectivity and support the movement of goods and workers between provinces.
The ADB has described the project as a climate-resilient transport link intended to improve road-travel efficiency across Luzon and support economic activity beyond Metro Manila.
The planned November contract award would mark another step towards full-scale construction of the bridge, although the timing remains dependent on the bank's concurrence.
