Panguil Bay Bridge project is now at 56%

The Department of Public Works and Highways continues to work on big-ticket projects that will help motorists in the country get around quicker and safer. Aside from the San Juanico Bridge which provides a direct link between Samar and Leyte since 1973, there will also be the upcoming Panguil Bay Bridge that will connect Tangub City in Misamis Occidental and Tubod in Lanao Del Norte via a 3.169-km two-lane bridge.

Last year, the DPWH began laying down the foundations for the upcoming Panguil Bay Bridge. At the time, the government agency was able to put 15 out of the 54 bored piles needed for the bridge’s substructure. Fast forward to July 2022, and the DPWH has made great progress.

According to DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain, the overall progress of the Panguil Bay Bridge project is now at 56%. He confirmed this when he, along with other DPWH personnel and contractor partners Kukdong Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. and Gumgwang Construction Co., Ltd, inspected the construction of the mega-bridge.

DPWH UPMO Roads Management Cluster 2, together with the contractor and consultant Yooshin Engineering Corporation in a joint venture with Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants Ltd., and Kyong-Ho Engineering & Architects Co., Ltd. are fast-tracking works on site.

They also used accelerated construction techniques and modern equipment and machinery that allowed them to put all of the 54 bored piling works. They also managed to complete work on the installation of the pre-stressed concrete for pylons 1 and 2. Coping and the column of some piers have also been completed.

DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan praised the progress of the upcoming inter-island mega-bridge project, noting that it will be a game-changer and will solve traffic/transportation woes for those living in Northern Mindanao.

Currently, the only way to get from Ozamis City/Tangub City to Tubod (and vice versa) is through Roll-On, Roll-Off (RoRo) vessels which can take about one and a half hours, not including the half-hour required for loading and unloading. Motorists can also travel by land but it will take them two to two and a half hours via 100 km of road.

Once work on the bridge is officially complete, the DPWH claims that the travel time between Tangub City and Tubod will only take 7 minutes. With a deadline set sometime in 2023, we’re hoping that the DPWH will be able to finish it on schedule.