The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to award a critical contract package of the $3.91-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project by November 2026.
“We will award P6 [Package 6], which is a critical part of the project, within November. It’s already pending with the ADB [Asian Development Bank] for concurrence,” Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon told reporters on the sidelines of the EJAP Infrastructure Forum 2026.
The ADB, which is co-financing the infrastructure initiative, approved a $2.11-billion loan in 2023, while the Philippine government’s counterpart funding amounts to $664.23 million. Civil works for the mega-bridge are divided into six contract packages.
Contract Package 1, covering the construction of the Bataan land approach in Mariveles, Bataan, was previously awarded to the consortium of China Wu Yi Co. Ltd. and Fujian Road & Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd.
In November last year, the DPWH awarded Package 2 to a consortium composed of China Wu Yi, Jinan Urban Construction Group Co. Ltd. and CM Pancho Construction Inc. That package covers the 1.3-kilometer Cavite land approach, while Package 3 involves the north and central marine viaducts.
Package 4 covers the south marine viaducts, while Packages 5 and 6 involve the bridge’s navigational channel cable-stayed spans and high-level approach spans.
The BCIB project aims to establish a permanent direct road link between Bataan and Cavite, closing a major infrastructure gap across the regional road network connecting Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
Spanning approximately 32 kilometers, the completed structure will comprise two cable-stayed bridges with main spans of 900 meters and 400 meters across navigation channels, 24 kilometers of marine and land viaducts, and 5 kilometers of approach roads.
The bridge will offer an alternative route connecting northern and southern Luzon while bypassing Metro Manila’s congested thoroughfares and easing traffic along existing arterial corridors. The DPWH noted that it could also serve as a vital emergency evacuation route for residents of Bataan, Cavite, Rizal, and southern Metro Manila in times of natural disasters.
Upon completion, the bridge is projected to reduce travel time between Bataan and Cavite from five and a half hours to approximately 45 minutes, saving motorists more than four hours of travel per trip.