Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, and other officials from the Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations, conducted an on-site inspection to ensure Mindanao’s longest bridge completion is on track for the target September inauguration.
The 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge, which will connect Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod in Lanao del Norte, is a landmark infrastructure project set to significantly reduce travel time between these two (2) provinces in Northern Mindanao.
The current two-and-a-half-hour journey, which relies on roll-on/roll-off vessels, will be cut down to just seven minutes by land once the bridge is operational.
In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Sadain said that the detailed engineering design and civil works is more than 97.5 percent completed to date.
Panguil Bay Bridge project includes the following major components: a 360-meter approach road leading to a 1,020-meter approach bridge at Tangub City side; a 569-meter approach road connects to a 900-meter approach bridge on the Tubod side; and a Main Bridge with central span that stretches 320 meters, supported by two (2) pylons, each anchored by six (6) cable stays. Additionally, two (2) observatory bays are positioned on both the Tangub and Tubod sides of the pylons for facilitating regular maintenance and ensuring the structural integrity of the bridge.
During the inspection, Senior Undersecretary Sadain, along with UPMO Project Directors Teresita V. Bauzon, Soledad R. Florencio, Ramon A. Arriola III, Benjamin A. Bautista and Rodrigo I. Delos Reyes conducted a detailed assessment of key bridge elements, including the deck slab, approach roads, barrier and median strip concrete, metal guardrail, and ancillary structures.
Also present at the inspection are past UPMO Project Directors namely Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and Virgilio C. Castillo, Stakeholders Relations Service Director Randy R. Del Rosario; Project Managers Shirley O. Castro, Evangeline L. Carabal, and Norman I. Puy; and Engineers Abdul Khalid C. Lumangcolob, and Ken John B. Barcelona.
