By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways ( DPWH) said that the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge will soon be a reality.
DPWH Undersecretary Emil Kiram Sadain revealed that the procurement for the detailed design of the 32-kilometer interisland bridge will start by December 2022.
Sadain inspected the Pulupandan coastal area facing Guimaras and was accompanied by Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña.
He said the bridge will connect Pulupandan, Negros Occidental to San Lorenzo, Guimaras and then Buenavista to Leganes in Iloilo.
The mega project has an initial funding of P185 billion, Sadain said, as he also confirmed that the bridge entry and exit points in Negros Occidental will be in Pulupandan.
The civil works and detailed design will be five years in the making, he further said.
“One thing for sure, the bridge would really be an iconic one,” Sadain said.
The linkage of the Panay-Guimaras bridge will comprise a sea crossing bridge of 4.97 kilometers, while the Guimaras-Negros will also comprise a sea crossing bridge of 13.11 kilometers, excluding the road connections within the three islands.
Peña on his part said the bridge will have a “big economic impact for Pulupandan, especially in terms of livelihood.”
Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who joined Sadain, Pena and twin brothers Board Member Jose Benito Alonso and Pontevedra Mayor Jose Maria Alonso also expressed support for the mega project.
The National Economic Development Authority reported that the 32.47-kilometer PGN Island Bridges Project is targeted for completion in 2030.
The project is classified as a rural expressway with two sea-crossing bridges, connecting roads, and interchanges that will connect the three main islands of the region.
