DPWH awards design contract for Bataan-cavite bridge project

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has awarded the $59-million engineering design contract for the Bataan– Cavite Interlink Bridge Project on Manila Bay funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In a statement, ADB said the contract was awarded to the joint venture of United Statesbased T.Y. Lin International and the Republic of Korea’s Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd., working in tandem with Geneva-based Renardet SA and the Philippines’ DCCD Engineering Corp.

Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said they will start the detailed engineering and design component of the project in November. It is expected that they will be finished by January 2022.

“This Bataan-cavite Interlink Bridge Project will provide a permanent road linkage between the two provinces in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog Region in order to reduce the journey time and ease traffic congestion through Metro Manila,” Villar said.

The contract is part of the P175.7-billion or $3.6-billion project which includes the construction of two long-span bridges totaling 32.1 kilometers. It will connect the provinces of Bataan and Cavite, which are located northwest and southwest of the capital Manila.

“The signing of the contract for the engineering design stage of the Bataan–cavite Interlink Bridge Project is timely, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Philippine economy. The bridge project has substantial multiplier effects on employment and the economy, and will help the region recover faster,” ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird said.

The project, which is part of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program, aims to boost the country’s long-term economic growth through increased public infrastructure investments. ADB said it is currently preparing to help finance the construction of this flagship project in 2022. Once completed, the bridge will reduce travel time from Bataan to Cavite to 40 minutes from 5 hours, easing traffic on the North Luzon Expressway, currently the main thoroughfare to provinces north of Metro Manila.

The proposed bridge project is composed of the following: Package 1—Bataan Land Viaduct (5.04 km), Package 2—Northern Marine Viaduct (8 km), Package 3 – Southern Marine Viaduct (12.6 km), Package 4—Approach Viaducts to Northern and Southern Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km), Package 5—Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km), Package 6— Cavite Land Viaduct (1.31 km), and Package 7—Ancillary Buildings. Cai U. Ordinario and Lorenz S. Marasigan