Bataan-Cavite bridge won’t be finished before Marcos term ends, DPWH says

The Bataan-Cavite Interlinked Bridge, one of the country’s flagship infrastructure projects, will not be completed within President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, the Department of Public Works and Highways said, even as major construction has yet to begin.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the government is in the process of awarding critical contract packages for the project, which will span Manila Bay and directly connect the provinces of Bataan and Cavite. He said major announcements are expected in the coming days regarding the start of larger project components.

Dizon said the government is close to awarding packages for work on Manila Bay and that construction on those segments would begin soon. He said some packages are already underway, but the most important contracts, which will form the foundation of the bridge’s construction, have yet to be awarded.

Dizon acknowledged the project would not be finished before the Marcos administration ends its term, citing the scale and technical complexity of building one of the largest bridges in the country’s history. He said the bridge is complicated and will take time, but that its completion would bring major relief and a significant impact on the economy.

Once completed, the bridge is expected to cut travel time between Central Luzon and the Calabarzon region, boost trade and investment, and support transportation, tourism and livelihoods for millions of Filipinos.

Although the project will not be finished under the current administration, it remains one of the largest infrastructure undertakings expected to reshape the country’s economy and connectivity in the coming years.