About 14 months ago, the construction of the Panguil Bay Bridge was estimated to be at 61%. In a span of (now) about 4 years, the bridge is nearing completion at a slow but steady pace. An update from the Department of Public Works and Highways in the middle of this month pegged progress to already be at 89%, and if all goes well, the project’s construction will be finished this year, 2024.
Panguil Bay Bridge seen to boost economic growth and reduce travel time
Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways
The Panguil Bay Bridge is a major infrastructure project that aims to connect Tangub, Misamis Oriental to Tubod, Lanao del Norte. Spanning a length of 3.17 kilometers, the travel time between these two vital cities and municipalities in Mindanao will be cut to only 7 minutes from what’s now 2 hours. Its completion will play a pivotal role in the area’s economy and infrastructure development in the region itself as it will provide a link between the provinces of Northern Mindanao, Central Mindanao, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways
Following the national government’s thrust of “Build Better More” under the “Bagong Pilipinas” direction, the work continues to be hastened, but budgets are playing a role in its completion and intended target. The DPWH has come across some difficulties in last year’s national budget, and that “risk” lingers on into 2024. Resource management and productive work environments are key to the project’s progress, something that the Panguil Bay Bridge contractors are exerting efforts into.
Photo: Department of Public Works and Highways
The overall design, construction, and operation of the Panguil Bay Bridge Project intend to establish a 7-minute inter-island connectivity with Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, and Tubod, Lanao del Norte as opposed to the current access connectivity through Roll-On, Roll-Off (RoRo) vessel which has a travel time of about 2 to 2 and a half hours including loading and unloading time. It consists of the main bridge (extra-dosed type) which is 320 meters long, a 1,920-meter-long approach bridge made of pre-stressed concrete girders, and an approach road.
Projects like this can, indeed, help sustain economies and livelihoods. We’re all for it, make no mistake about that. But alongside, we hope that infrastructure development turns its eyes to the cities that these bridges lead into, and not just focus on getting everyone to their destination. A shorter travel time is always good, but if you hit the cities’ interiors and you’re met with a grinding halt due to the lack of roads or proper infra, that wouldn’t be so good now, would it?
