MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL (PIA)–The construction of the 3.17-kilometer sea crossing bridge in northern Mindanao is now 61% complete, an official from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said, December 8.
In his report to DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the construction of the multi-billion peso bridge project is ongoing and that contractors are exerting efforts to accelerate the process. He said contractors are working to speed up the Panguil Bay Bridge Project’s long list of superstructure construction tasks.
The longest sea-crossing bridge in northern Mindanao will connect the City of Tangub in Misamis Occidental to the Municipality of Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
“The bridge costing P7.375 billion, financed by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines and Korean Export Import Bank not only represents a long dream come true of the people of Lanao Del Norte and Misamis Occidental but a milestone highlighting how the design and construction of a modern bridge with sea offshore excavation depth of up to more than 50 meters has evolved,” Sadain said in a statement.
The project, which began in February 2020, is part of DPWH’s continuing “Build Better More Program.” Its construction was pushed back due to restrictions on work at the height of the pandemic.
The DPWH said that construction began after all 54 bored piles were finished. This made it possible to start building the 36 abutments and pier columns, 32 coping, and the incremental launching method (ILM) for the superstructure on both ends of the bridge, in Tubod and Tangub City.
About 336 people work on the project around the clock to finish it by December 2023. The weather in the project area, which is frequently rainy and has strong currents from Panguil Bay, however, has slowed down the construction of the bridge in the last quarter of 2022.
The DPWH said the Panguil Bay Bridge Project has a main bridge (extra-dosed type) with a length of 320 meters, a 1,920-meter approach bridge made of pre-stressed concrete girders, and an approach road.
Once completed, the Panguil Bay Bridge is expected to reduce the travel time between Lanao Del Norte and Misamis Occidental from two hours to just seven minutes. (DPWH/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)
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