The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expects to start the construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project by 2024.
The agency said the BCIB Project is divided into seven contract packages with the construction to begin in two on-land packages: Package 1, which is the five-kilometer Bataan land approach and Package 2, which is the 1.35-kilometer Cavite land approach.
Packages 3 and 4 are marine viaducts in the north and south with a total length of 20.65 kilometers while packages 5 and 6 are the north channel and south channel bridges with a length of 2.15 and 3.15 kilometers, respectively.
The 7th package involves project-wide ancillary works.
The four-lane 32.15-kilometer BCIB project by far is the biggest of the flagship projects with a projected 30.87 percent economic internal rate of return as it will significantly cut down travel time between Bataan and Cavite and vice versa from five hours to only 45 minutes, thereby easing traffic congestion in Metro Manila as well as in south and north Luzon gateways.
The bridge alignment in Bataan is situated between the Roman Highway and traverses the barren land area at Barangay Alas-Asin that then skirts to the shoreline of Barangay Mountain View in Mariveles. The Cavite alignment will start from the shoreline of Barangay Timalan Balsahan in Naic, then it traverses through agricultural and residential areas and terminating at Antero Soriano Highway which is relatively flat terrain in Barangay Timalan Balsahan and Barangay Timalan Concepcion.
A tourist center and supporting facilities will be established at the north approach of the BCIB, providing information about the rich ecosystem and diversity of destinations on the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor Island.
Funding for the civil works construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge is committed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with co-financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
