MEGA BRIDGE. Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral talks about the 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge during the Build Better More Infrastructure Forum at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday (July 11, 2024). The mega bridge aims to reduce travel time between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite from five hours to just 45 minutes, bypassing Metro Manila through Manila Bay. (PNA photo by Darryl John Esguerra)
CAPAS, Tarlac – The construction of the 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is likely to start early or mid 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Thursday.
With an initial cost of PHP219 billion, the Bataan-Cavite mega bridge is set to be the “biggest and the single most expensive project” of the DPWH, Public Works Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral said during the Build Better More Infrastructure Forum at New Clark City in this town.
The bridge, once completed, will reduce the travel time between Bataan and Cavite from five hours to 45 minutes bypassing Metro Manila by crossing Manila Bay.
The detailed engineering design of the mega bridge project has been completed, while the bidding of the initial contract package was held last week, Cabral said.
“Hopefully, it will be started either by early part of next year or middle of next year,” she said.
The project will be funded through an official development assistance (ODA).
ODA loans support developing countries by providing low-interest, long-term and concessional funds to finance development projects.
The construction of the Bataan-Cavite bridge project was supposed to start late 2024.
Asked what caused the delay, Cabral explained that the government took its time in looking for the "best financing package" available.
“Sourcing the funding has been really the problem. We’re trying to get the best financing package for this biggest project of the DPWH and finally we are able to do so," Cabral said.
“I think last week we just held the bidding for the first contract packages,” she added.
Infra program forum
Spearheaded by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the Build Better More Infrastructure forum is the third leg of the PCO‘s pioneering initiative, the Bagong Pilipinas Media Engagement and Workshop Series of 2024, following the successful culmination of the Food Security Cluster Communications Workshop and National Security Cluster Communications Workshop in March and April 2024, respectively.
It seeks to provide a platform to allow government agencies to engage and collaborate with the media and government communicators to enhance the quality and value of public discourse on the Build Better More Infrastructure Program – the flagship infrastructure development agenda of the Marcos administration.
The program includes 187 infrastructure flagship projects. (PNA)
