MANILA, Philippines — Construction of the P175-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) that would cut travel time between the provincial regions immediately north and south of the capital from five hours to just 45 minutes must begin by October, President Marcos said yesterday.
The Chief Executive issued his directive to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its partners during the BCIB’s milestone ceremony at the Maritime Academy of the Asia and the Pacific in Mariveles, Bataan.
“Do your best always to ensure that civil works for this bridge will commence by October this year. Do your best also to deliver what we have proposed so that our people and their localities may live out the picture we have painted as our goal as soon as possible,” Marcos said.
“With the BCIB, it is projected that that five-hour trip will now become as close – as quick as 30 minutes, reducing by as much as 86 percent, and we are reducing it to maybe 45 minutes of travel,” he added.
Marcos said the construction of the BCIB would significantly help in decongesting Metro Manila as motorists to and from Region 3 or Central Luzon and Region 4-A or Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) will no longer pass through the National Capital Region.
The 32.15-kilometer, four-lane, inter-island bridge will connect Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, Bataan and Barangay Timalan Concepcion in Naic, Cavite and once completed, it will be the longest bridge in the Philippines.
The BCIB will have two navigational bridges: the 400-meter North Channel Bridge and 900-meter South Channel Bridge, which will traverse Corregidor Island. About 80 percent of the structure will be over the sea.
“Let me call once again on the officials and employees of the DPWH as well as all the consultants to remain committed to finishing this project on schedule,” Marcos said.
Once completed, it will also help in bringing down prices of goods and services as the transport and logistics costs will decrease, thereby generating immense savings all around, he added.
He said new opportunities would likewise be opened to Bataan and Cavite and their surrounding provinces because of the easier access that will be made available.
The bridge’s construction will also support the development of seaports in the two provinces, making them potential international shipping gateways of the country, Marcos said.
The highlight of yesterday’s event was the ceremonial switching of the offshore drilling equipment used in the geotechnical investigation for the BCIB, as well as the presentation of milestones of the project’s detailed engineering design.
Primarily funded through official development assistance loans from the Asian Development Bank, with co-financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, BCIB’s construction is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2028.