DPWH makes steady progress in Panguil Bay Bridge construction

The on-going design and build of Panguil Bay Bridge Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is progressing steadily. (DPWH)

The on-going design and build of Panguil Bay Bridge Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is progressing steadily.

In his report to DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said that overall progress for the construction of Panguil Bay Bridge, an inter-island mega bridge connecting Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao Del Norte, is at 56 percent to date.

Undersecretary Sadain, in his on-site visit on July 28, 2022 together with Project Directors Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim and Benjamin A. Bautista, expressed satisfaction with the progress of work done so far by the contractor Namkwang Engineering & Construction Corporation in Joint Venture with Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang Construction Co., Ltd.

DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2 together with the contractor and consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation in joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co., Ltd. are accelerating works on site as they seek to complete the project within the targeted time frame of December 2023.

Accelerated construction techniques and use of modern equipment and machineries resulted to the completion of all the 54 bored piling works off-shore and on-shore for the two abutments each with two bored piles, 32 piers including the main bridge pier 17 and pier 18 each with four bored piles, and pylon one and pylon two each with six bored piles.

Installation of prestressed concrete house for pylon 1 and 2, and coping and column of some piers are completed while equipment and materials are being prepared to commence the incremental launching method for both ends of the bridge.

The bridge with a total length of 3.169 kilometers, soon to be the longest in Mindanao, is being constructed to provide easy connectivity.

Secretary Bonoan lauded the ongoing inter-island bridge project as a ‘game-changer’ noting that Panguil Bay Bridge would go a long way to solve travel woes faced by the people of Northern Mindanao.

One of the DPWH infrastructure flagship projects that has created jobs for locals, changing lives and livelihoods, this bridge project will lower the cost of doing business by lowering vehicle operating costs, reducing travel time, and improving mobility, added Undersecretary Sadain.

Present connectivity between Ozamis City/Tangub City and Tubod through Roll-On, Roll Off (RoRo) vessels is about one and a half hour to two and a half hour including loading and unloading time while land travel over a distance of 100 kilometer is at two to two and a half hour.

The project is under implementation supervision of UPMO Project Director Hasim and Project Manager Teresita V. Bauzon.( DPWH/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)