The 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge project connecting Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte is aimed to be completed this year despite budget constraints, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Emil Sadain, senior undersecretary for DPWH infrastructure flagship projects, said civil works on the project are targeted to be finished this year, even as the necessary funding remains paramount to ensure the project’s full completion.
In the recent project inspection, Sadain said despite progress made in the construction which is 89 percent complete, funding challenges in DPWH’s 2023 and 2024 national budget for this infrastructure flagship project threaten to prolong the timeline.
“We are optimistic that the implementing office Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral) together with the contractors and consultants will be able to make up for the unprecedented delays brought by the absence of sufficient funding and bad weather conditions in Mindanao the last several days to finish the Panguil Bay Bridge Project in a few months from now,” Sadain said.
DPWH noted its continued efforts to deliver the Panguil Bay Bridge’s completion, further promoting the “Build Better More” agenda under the “Bagong Pilipinas” brand of governance and leadership of the Marcos administration.
The Panguil Bay Bridge project consists of the main bridge (extra-dosed type) 320 meters long, a 1,920-meter-long approach bridge made of pre-stressed concrete girders, and an approach road.
With the segment closure of the main bridge at pylons 1 and 2 and the corresponding approach road underway, the people of Lanao Del Norte and Misamis Occidental including tourists can look forward to easier access and enhanced interisland connectivity.
The completion of the project will mark a significant milestone in Mindanao’s infrastructure development, DPWH said. This will significantly reduce travel time, boost economic growth, and enhance transportation links between the provinces of Northern and Central Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
In line with the DPWH INFRAgenda 2028 Strategic Plan, the design and build of the Panguil Bay Bridge is targeted to establish a seven-minute interisland connectivity with Tangub City and Tubod, as opposed to the current access connectivity through roll-on, roll-off vessel which has a travel time of about two hours to two and a half hours, including loading and unloading time. – Myla Iglesias
