The cost of the 32-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges that was initially estimated at P187.534 billion is expected to increase, Regional Director Sanny Boy Oropel of the Department of Public Works and Highways Western Visayas said on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
During the conduct of the geotechnical studies it was determined that the depth of some bored piles of the bridge need to be increased up to 175 meters, which will mean additional cost, he said.
The detailed engineering design of the 13-kilometer Panay-Guimaras section is expected to be completed in December and the cost of the project will be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority for approval, Oropel said.
If it is approved the procurement activities for the Panay-Guimaras Bridge could start in the first semester of 2025 and civil works in the second semester, he added.
It is targeted for completion in 2028.
The detailed engineering design for the 19-kilometer Guimaras-Negros bridge is expected to be completed by December 2025 and civil works could start in 2026, Oropel said.
Completion could then be in three to four years, he added.*