Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain reported that construction of Panguil Bay Bridge connecting Tubod, Lanao del Norte and Tangub City, Misamis Occidental is on-going at full steam.
An inspection report to Secretary Roger G. Mercado by Undersecretary Sadain revealed that the design and build for the 3.169 kilometers bridge project is progressing at a brisk pace, having attained a weighted average of 41.83 percent to date.
Undersecretary Sadain, Chief Implementer of President Rodrigo Duterte administration’s flagship projects under Build Build Build Program, arrived Thursday, January 27, 2022 in Lanao del Norte and conducted an offshore inspection at Panguil Bay towards Misamis Occidental to check the bridge foundation works. He was joined by UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim, Bureau of Design OIC Director Edwin Matanguihan, Bureau of Construction OIC Director Aristarco Doroy, and Project Managers Teresita Bauzon and Mike Ramos.
Undersecretary Sadain has been closely monitoring the construction of the bridge foundation to ensure greater stability and safety and to prevent structural failures of this flagship infrastructure project.
The engineering design for the bridge was based on an extensive geotechnical survey onshore and offshore in 2020 as well as gathered bathymetric data from the study of the underwater depth of ocean floors to ensure that the Panguil Bay Bridge is built on good foundations with high strength to weight ratio.
In 2021, DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral) and its contractor Namkwang-Kukdong-Gumgwang Joint Venture have stepped up construction of bored piles foundation with about 40 out of the total 54 already completed to date.
Towards the end of the year 2022, DPWH is targetting to reach 80.47 percent project accomplishment with completed approach bridge from Abutment 1 to Pier 10 at Tangub side, Main Bridge Pylon 1 and 2, and Pier 23 to Abutment 2 at Tubod side.
Project completion will be achieved by December 2023 with full year activities centered on the approach bridge from Pier 10 to 17 Tangub side and Pier 18 to 23 Tubod side, 320 meters Main Bridge, and the approach roads.
The construction of a high-level bridge across Panguil Bay in Northern Mindanao will end the decades-long wait for better connectivity between Tubod and Tangub City.
Secretary Mercado said that this new bridge that would usher in development and progress, will reduce travel time of 2.5 hours through Roll-On, Roll-Off (RORO) vessels from Ozamiz City/Tangub City to Mukas Port/Tubod to just 7 minutes.
Panguil Bay Bridge will help address transportation challenges as other present mode between Tangub and Tubod is by land travel of 2 to 2.5 hours over a total length of 100 kilometers.
It will uplift the economic condition and will also encourage growth of tourism between Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte.
The project is funded by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippine and Korean Export Import Bank. (DPWH)
