Philippines: Panguil Bay Bridge, longest in Mindanao, a major milestone achieved

Manila: Excitement is building up as the longest bridge on the southern island of Mindanao nears completion, ready to open for traffic soon.

At 3.77 km, the 6.4-billion-peso ($111.8 million) Panguil Bay Bridge in Mindanao is already the longest water-spanning bridge on the resource-rich island inhabited by an estimated 26 million people.

It consists of the main bridge (extra-dosed type) 320 meters long, a 1,920-meter-long approach bridge made of pre-stressed concrete girders, and an approach road.

Construction, initiated on November 27, 2018, faced pandemic and weather-related delays, alongside funding gaps.

Connectivity

Once it opens open, it is expected to cut inter-island connectivity between Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, and Tubod, Lanao del Norte to seven (7) minutes.

The current access connectivity through Roll-On, Roll-Off (RoRo) vessel has a travel time of about two (2) hours to two-and-a-half (2.5) hours, including loading and unloading time.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier announced it aims to open the bridge by the third-quarter of 2024 (September at the latest).

On July 4, the full connection of the bridge was celebrated in conjunction with the 65th Araw ng Lanao del Norte.

With the final stroke of concrete, a decades-long aspiration for the people of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental is etched into reality. The sea-crossing bridge is no longer a distant dream, but a tangible testament to their unwavering hope and unity.

Deck barges were used to move large prefabricated bridge sections and several hundreds of tonnes of equipment like cranes and excavators in addition to materials like concrete and steel.

The bridge is expected to reduce travel time between Tubod, Lanao del Norte and Tangub City, Misamis Occidental to just seven minutes.

Critical construction works

Public access to Panguil Bay Bridge remains restricted as critical construction work continues, according to authorities.

The bridge is currently off-limits to the public to ensure safety and facilitate uninterrupted work.

Authorities have emphasised that the restrictions will remain until all necessary construction activities are completed and the bridge is deemed safe for public use.

Designers, builders

The design and build contractor, South Korea’s Namkwang Engineering & Construction Corp, has a joint venture with Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang Construction Co., Ltd. Their teams are working alongside project consultant Yooshin Engineering Corp, Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co., Ltd.