3RD BRIDGE LAUNCH SET

Duterte to check areas covered by project from Cebu City to Cordova before he will lead the 2 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony. Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. wants to start the P27.9-B project on time to finish it within Duterte's term.

As part of the preparations for the ceremonial launching of the project, the proponent of the Cebu-Cordova third bridge visited Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday.

During the visit, Arlette Capistrano of the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) briefed Osmeña on what will happen tomorrow during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project in Cordova town.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to attend the ceremo- ny, who will first inspect the site where the P27.9-billion infrastructure will be built.

Capistrano said that upon his arrival in Cebu tomorrow afternoon, Duterte will proceed with the aerial inspection of the project from Cordova to Cebu City.

Capistrano said that they will install two markers near the Pilipog Bridge in Cordova and at the entrance of the South Road Properties (SRP) near the viaduct in Cebu City where the approaches of the bridge will be built.

Last Monday, CCLEC, along with the officials of the two local government units concerned, held a coordination meeting to discuss the preparations and final details of the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow.

After the aerial inspection, Duterte along with Secretary Adelino Sitoy, chief of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, will proceed to Cordova for the program proper.

The program will include the lowering of the time capsule and speeches of Sitoy, Osmeña and Duterte.

Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC), through its subsidiary CCLEC, will build and operate the bridge.

Manny Pangilinan of MPTDC will also give his speech.

MPTDC entered into an agreement last year for a joint venture with the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova town for the multi-billion third bridge project.

At present, Capistrano said that the CCLEC is securing all the permits for the project to allow them to start the construction in July this year.

She said that CCLEC wants to start the civil works on time, so the project will be finished within the term of Duterte.

SUNSTAR FOTO / ARNI ACLAO COURTESY CALL. CCLEX core group headed by Arlette Capistrano (second from left) visits Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for a courtesy call and briefing for the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow.