The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is nearing completion of the Panguil Bay Bridge Project, which will soon become the longest sea-crossing bridge in Mindanao.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said that the inter-island bridge project in Northern Mindanao is currently 90 percent completed, with only 38.75-meter gap to link the superstructure from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental to Tubod, Lanao del Norte.
“We are currently rushing works on both sides of the Tangub and Tubod approaches as well as the remaining three gaps to fully connect the whole Panguil Bay Bridge,” Sadain said.
According to Sadain, the Panguil Bay Bridge is among the infrastructure flagship projects of the agency , having been initiated in the previous administration and continued under the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as it is seen as a landmark infrastructure that would boost economic growth of Mindanao.
When completed, this will be able to reduce travel time between Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte to only seven minutes, from the current travel time of one and a half hour to two and a half hour via Roll-On, Roll Off (RoRo) or land travel with over a distance of 100 kilometers.
The project is funded through a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines (GOP) and Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Eximbank).
The Panguil Bay Bridge Project commenced civil works in 2020 amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, navigating through unprecedented circumstances to fulfill its objectives.
However, it faced additional hurdles due to insufficient fund allocation, further complicating its progress and implementation.
“Despite these setbacks, the project persevered, demonstrating DPWH resilience and underscores the commitment of President Marcos administration to advancing vital infrastructure projects that will contribute to the nation’s progress and prosperity under Bagong Pilipinas”, Sadain said.