The economic highway from Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, to Victorias City will be extended to Sagay City, and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge is targeted for completion in 2030, Sanny Boy Oropel, Department of Public Works and Highways 6 regional director, said Thursday, January 18.
Oropel, who spoke at the oathtaking of 136 new Western Visayas civil engineers at rites in Bacolod City, said under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, P48.96 billion has been allocated for Western Visayas infrastructure projects, with P14.94 billion dedicated to Negros Occidental.
The Bacolod Negros Occidental Economic Highway (BANOCEH) that stretches from Brgy. Sum-ag in Bacolod City to Victorias City involving the opening, concreting, and improvement of 48.8 kilometers of road and the construction and improvement of 16 bridges is expected to fully open this year, he said.
DPWH is also implementing the construction of the BANOCEH Victorias-Sagay stretch, he said.
Also, included in the pipeline projects of the DPWH is the Bacolod-Victorias Coastal Road, which will eventually connect the Cadiz City Port and Pulupandan Port in the south, Oropel said.
Oropel said the highly anticipated Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges (PGN) stand as an iconic mega project costing P187.54 billion.
The PGN Island Bridges comprise the construction of two sea-crossing bridges spanning 32.47 kilometers, complete with connecting roads and interchanges, he said.
The scheduled completion of the PGN Island Bridges is set for 2030, promising a significant reduction in travel time from the current 3-4 hours of sea travel to less than one hour, ensuring a safer and faster commute, Oropel said.*