DPWH signs design contract for the 32km Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project

Photo credits: DPWH

The Department of Public Works and Highways DPWH has recently signed a detailed design contract for its upcoming infrastructure, the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project.

32.15 kilometers long, the four-lane bridge project stretches from Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan crossing Manila Bay, and ends in Barangay Timalan, Naic, Cavite. When the bridge is finished, it will reduce the present five hours of travel time to 20 – 30 minutes with a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.

Photo credits: DPWH

It involves constructing two navigation bridges – the North Channel Bridge and South Channel Bridge, with a main span of 400 meters and 900 meters, respectively.

The latest interlink bridge project aims to connect the Provinces of Bataan and Cavite,  lessen the travel time between two provinces, and ease traffic congestion going to Metro Manila. According to the department’s statement from its Facebook page, the detailed engineering design (DED) activities for the mega bridge project will be carried out in the next 15 months.

DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project would provide economic opportunities for growth and support the development of seaports in Cavite and Bataan as a premier international shipping gateway to the country.

The contract agreement of consulting services for the DED amounts to PHP 3.03USD 0.05INR 4EUR 0.05CNY 0.38 Billion with the bid winning consultants procured by ADB.

Parties to the contract agreement that gives the green light to conduct the DED from November 2020 to January 2022 are T.Y. Lin International Senior Vice President Sajid Abbas, Pyunghwa Engineering Executive Vice President Soo Young Park, Renardet S.A. Director Michele Coangelo, DCCD Engineering Corporation President Michael Roberto P. Reyes, and Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim of the implementing office DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral).

According to Undersecretary Sadain, the DED scheduled from November 2020 to January 2022 will be funded by additional financing for the Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility (IPIF) under a signed loan agreement last December 2019 between the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Department of Finance.