MANILA - The Philippines on Tuesday said it has signed a P3-billion contract for the detailed engineering design of a planned 32-kilometer bridge over Manila Bay that will link the Bataan and Cavite provinces.

In a post on Facebook, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the design study for the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project will be carried out in the next 15 months, with the Asian Development Bank choosing the winning bidders.

“This Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project will provide a permanent road linkage between the two provinces in Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog Region in order to reduce the journey time and ease traffic congestion through Metro Manila”, said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

The project is expected to reduce travel time between the two provinces to around 30 minutes from 5 hours at present, the DPWH said.

A 32-kilometer bridge with 2 lanes in each direction will be built across Manila Bay, which will connect Brgy. Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan to Brgy. Timalan, Naic, Cavite, according to the DPWH.

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Villar said that besides cutting travel time, the project would also support the development of seaports in Cavite and Bataan as premier international shipping gateways to the country.

"Parties to the contract agreement that gives the green light to conduct the DED (detailed engineering design) 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)," the DPWH said.

It said the signing ceremony was virtually witnessed by officials of ADB, including its Philippine Country Director Kelly Bird.

The DPWH said the planned bridge is composed of the following:

• Package 1 – Bataan Land Viaduct (5.04 km)
• Package 2 – Northern Marine Viaduct (8.0 km)
• Package 3 – Southern Marine Viaduct (12.6 km)
• Package 4 – Approach Viaducts to Northern and Southern Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km)
• Package 5 – Navigation Channel Bridges (2.6 km)
• Package 6 – Cavite Land Viaduct (1.31 km)
• Package 7 – Ancillary Buildings.

If it pushes through, the Bataan-Cavite bridge will be largest and longest bridge in the country.

Earlier this year, Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs and Projects Vince Dizon said the Cavite-Bataan bridge had been shelved as the government focused on infrastructure projects that were needed more to respond to the pandemic.

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