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DPWH aims for loan approval by November for the 32km Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge project
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ADB and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank earlier committed to co-finance the civil works for the BCIB project targeted to start by 2024
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The project will consist of seven contract packages with construction to begin initially on the two on-land packages
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Package 1 involves a 5km Bataan Land Approach and Package 2, the 1.35km Cavite Land Approach
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Once the bridge is completed, travel time between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite will be cut drastically from the current 5 1⁄2 hours to just about 45 minutes
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) eyes a November loan approval for the 32-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB).
Public Works Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the two-week discussion with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) fact-finding mission from June 16 to July 5 was geared towards appraising overall project readiness prior to the preparation of loan agreement for the BCIB Project.
The discussion was also attended by the joint venture of TY Lin International Ltd. and Pyungwha Engineering & Consulting Co. Ltd., hired by government as detailed engineering design (DED) consultant for the project preparation, DPWH said in a statement.
ADB, together with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, earlier committed to co-finance the civil works construction of the BCIB project that is targeted to start by 2024.
The BCIB project will be divided into seven contract packages with construction to begin first in the two on-land components – Package 1 consisting of the 5-km Bataan Land Approach and Package 2, which involves the 1.35 km Cavite Land Approach.
Packages 3 and 4 are marine viaducts with a total length of 20.65 km.
Packages 5 and 6 are the North Channel and South Channel Bridges with a length of 2.15 km and 3.15 km, respectively. Package 7 involves project-wide ancillary works.
On March 31, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the milestone ceremony for the DED, marking the official launch of the project.
DPWH said the DED has taken into consideration various technical challenges such as the severe seismic load and wind speed in the project area, the need for navigation channels to accommodate large cargo vessels, seabed depth of about 50 meters for placing the caisson foundation, extreme climate condition and seawater rise due to climate change, among others.
As a result, the final design includes a long cable-stayed bridge at the south channel (between Cavite and Corregidor Island) with a tower height of 380 meters from the sea level.
To ensure strength, serviceability, and durability of the key structural elements, the DPWH construction supervision team will be supported by a project management consultant and engineering/design support consultant.
The feasibility study for the BCIB project was completed under the ADB’s Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility in 2019, in which the preliminary architectural and engineering design has been prepared.
Once the bridge is completed, travel time between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite will be cut from five and a half hours currently to just about 45 minutes.
