3 years after the project was proposed, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that the 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project will begin construction later this year. The projected cost of the mega bridge: PHP 187 billion.
“Detailed engineering [design] is now ongoing – it’s about 70 percent complete and we told the President it will be ready within the year to ground break the implementation of this very significant bridge,” said Public Works Secretary, Manuel Bonoan.
If all goes according to plan, the DPWH, its partners, and its contractors, plan to finish the project within the term of President Bongbong Marcos.
“We intend to start construction towards the latter part of this year siguro (perhaps). If we are able to procure the civil works then it will take maybe about anywhere between five years…We’ll try to have this completed before the term of the President,” added Bonoan.
As another intervention to address Metro Manila’s persistent problem with traffic congestion, the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge will introduce new expansion and economic growth opportunities outside of the Metropolis with investors now setting up industries leading to the route of promising new land and marine viaduct highway to be built between Regions 3 and 4A, said Public Works Undersecretary Emil Sadain during an earlier interview.
With the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, the soon-to-be new four (4)-lane permanent linkage between Bataan and Cavite will cut travel time from five hours to just 20 to 30 minutes. The bridge also features a viaduct that would make it easier for tourists to visit the historic Corregidor Island.
The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project also includes the construction of two cable-stayed navigation bridges on either side of Corregidor called the North Channel Bridge and South Channel Bridge, these structures will have main spans of 400 meters and 900 meters, respectively.
