The Investment Coordination Committee Cabinet Committee has found the proposed fourth bridge between mainland Cebu and Mactan Island to be economically and financially viable.
The New Cebu-Mactan Bridge Construction Project, with an estimated cost of P26 billion, was among 12 infrastructure projects that the committee approved on Friday, December 20, 2019. It will include the fourth bridge, which will be called the New Cebu-Mactan Bridge, and the Mandaue Coastal Road.
It is now one step away from final approval as it needs to be confirmed by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board, the country’s social and economic development planning and policy coordinating body which is headed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The proposed fourth bridge will connect Cansaga Bay in Mandaue City to Barangay Ibo in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island, near the Mactan Economic Zone. It will be a four-lane facility with a total road length of 3.2 kilometers.
The proposed four-to-six-lane coastal road, on the other hand, will cover 4.9 kilometers and is seen to become part of a wide-range circumferential road comprised of the proposed Metro Cebu Circumferential Road or Metro Cebu Expressway, Cebu South Coastal Road, and the proposed Mandaue-Liloan Diversion Road.
The New Cebu-Mactan Bridge Construction Project will traverse six barangays in Mandaue City (North Reclamation Area, Centro, Looc, Opao, Umapad and Paknaan) and two barangays in Lapu-Lapu City (Pusok and Ibo).
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which conducted the feasibility study, said the project is expected to contribute to Cebu’s economic development by increasing transport capacity, improving traffic efficiency and easing traffic congestion.
Other projects that the ICC Cabinet Committee approved based on economic and financial viability are:
Unsolicited Operate-Add-Transfer (OAT) Proposal for the Davao International Airport
Unsolicited Operate-Add-Transfer (OAT) Proposal for the Laguindingan Airport
MRT-4 Project
EDSA Greenways Project
Maritime Safety Enhancement Program
Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) Project
Davao City Coastal Bypass Road, including Bucana Bridge Project
Capas-Botolan Road Project
Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project
Davao City Bypass Construction Project (DCBCP)- 2nd Change in Scope and Cost and Supplemental Loan
Samar-Pacific Coastal Road Project-Loan Validity and Implementation Extension and Increase in Cost.
These projects have a total estimated cost of P626 billion.
"The Duterte administration will continue to ensure that all projects are implemented on time and on budget. We remain on track in achieving our target of accelerating infrastructure spending to 7% of GDP (gross domestic product) by 2022," the ICC said in a statement. (Ventures Cebu)
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