CEBU - The Department of Public Works and Highways has awarded to a Manila-based firm the construction of Consolacion town’s Cansaga Bay Bridge and its approaches, which form part of the P2.3 billion Cebu North Coastal Road project (CNCR).
Nonito Labrador, manager of DPWH’s Project Management Office of CNCR, said they already awarded the project last week to the Ciriaco Construction.
Labrador said they are now preparing for the signing of the contract between the DPWH and the winning bidder as soon as possible.
“Hopefully, we can issue a notice to the winning bidder and the construction of the bridge and its approaches will start within the month,” he told The Freeman.
The CNCR project is divided into two packages. Package 1 includes Phases 1 and 2.
Phase 1, which was already completed, involves the civil works in preparation for the construction of bridge. Phase 2 includes the construction of the bridge and its approaches.
Package 2 includes the construction of roads, including the Suba Bridge, Tayud Underpass and a pedestrian overpass.
Nilo Pamayloan, project director of CNCR, said an initial funding of P400 million for the construction of the Cansaga Bay Bridge and its approaches was already released this year.
An amount of P999,290,000 will be released in 2009 and another P809,453,000 will be released in 2010, the year the project is expected to be completed.
Pamayloan said the Cansaga Bay Bridge is about 684 meters and its vertical height of 13 meters is nearly same as that of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge.
The CNCR is part of 149 infrastructure projects that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is currently implementing across the country.
About 52 of these projects are found in Central Visayas. In Cebu, five projects are presently under implementation, including the coastal road.
The 9.45-kilometer coastal road is a four-way lane highway traversing the city of Mandaue and the towns of Consolacion and Liloan.
It will link the northern towns of Cebu to the northern Metro Cebu, encompassing the Mactan Cebu International Airport, Mactan Export Processing Zone and the Mandaue City reclamation area.
Over P100 million was released in 2007, P55 million of which goes to the payments of the right of way while the remaining P45 million was spent on civil works.
Considering its importance in the fast growing economy of Cebu, Labrador said they are confident of finishing the project on time.
According to the DPWH, the project is one of the components of the Industrial Corridor Link of the province.
Once completed, it will improve the infrastructure of Mandaue City and of Consolacion and Liloan municipalities, which are two of the major towns in the province that are being considered as alternative areas for business investment. — /LPM (THE FREEMAN)