MANILA -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it has approved funding of up to $2.1 billion for the construction of the bridge that will connect Bataan and Cavite across Manila Bay.

The Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge, one of the government's flagship infrastructure projects, is a 32.15-kilometer climate-resilient bridge. It will have 2 cable-stayed bridges, 24 km of marine viaducts, and a total 8 km of approach road in the two provinces, ADB said.

It will be constructed following high technical standards to boost resilience to natural hazards and the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, increase in temperature and heatwaves, and extreme weather events.

The bridge will be built using low-carbon technologies and construction materials where applicable, the multilateral lender said.

ADB said the bridge will be financed under a multitranche financing facility, with the first tranche amounting to $650 million.

The Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is expected to cut travel time between Bataan and Cavite to 1.5 hours from 5 hours, and to about 2 hours from 4 hours between Bataan and Metro Manila.

"The traffic decongestion in Metro Manila and the reduced travel time will help lower annual greenhouse gas emissions in the country by an estimated 79,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent," ADB said in a statement.

The lender added that the project will boost Bataan’s potential to host more manufacturing industries in the Freeport Area of Bataan, making it an ideal transshipment hub. The bridge will also help expand the use of Bataan’s Mariveles port as an alternative to the busy Manila port.

The bridge will also offer easier access from northern Luzon to Cavite, which is a host to businesses in the service, export, logistics services, facilities, and information technology sectors.

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