Construction of Panguil Bay Bridge at full steam– DPWH
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Sunday it targets to substantially complete a portion of the Panguil Bay Bridge—connecting Tubod, Lanao del Norte and Tangub City, Misamis Occidental—within the year, as construction works goes “at full steam.”
DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain was quoted in a statement as saying that the P7.38-billion project is “progressing at a brisk pace, having attained a weighted average of 41.83 percent to date.”
The DPWH said it is targeting to reach 80.47-percent project accomplishment this year, with completed approach bridge from Abutment 1 to Pier 10 at Tangub side, Main Bridge Pylon 1 and 2 and Pier 23 to Abutment 2 at Tubod side.
The whole project will be completed by December next year, “with full year activities centered on the approach bridge from Pier 10 to 17 Tangub side and Pier 18 to 23 Tubod side, 320 meters Main Bridge and the approach roads,” the DPWH statement read.
The high-level bridge across Panguil Bay in Northern Mindanao “will end the decades-long wait for better connectivity between Tubod and Tangub City,” the agency added.
“This new bridge that would usher in development and progress, will reduce travel time of 2.5 hours through Roll-on, Roll-off (RORO) vessels from Ozamiz City/tangub City to Mukas Port/tubod to just seven minutes,” Public Works Secretary Roger G. Mercado was quoted in the statement as saying.
Panguil Bay Bridge will connect Tangub and Tubod. Currently, motorists travel between the two areas for 100 kilometers.
It will uplift the economic condition and will also encourage growth of tourism between Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte, according to the DPWH.
The project is funded by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippine and Korean Export Import Bank.
Namkwang-kukdong-gumgwang Joint Venture is the contractor for the project.