Position paper: Bridge should not connect to Pulupandan

The Negros Occidental Provincial Development Council (PDC) deferred a request by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to endorse the feasibility study for the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge to the Regional Development Council. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who presided over last Thursday’s meeting, pointed out, they decided not to endorse the request until all concerns forwarded by council members were answered.
One of the concerns raised was from Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, who submitted a position paper to the National Economic and Development Authority. In the paper, he argued the Guimaras-Negros bridge segment should not connect to Pulupandan and suggested Valladolid or Bago City instead.
Last June, the council also recommended surveyors to consider other possible routes aside from Pulupandan. Apart from the said locales, they also recommended Victorias City and EB Magalona.
Based on the project profile, the first segment of the bridge will connect Leganes, Iloilo to Buenavista, Guimaras; while second is projected to link San Lorenzo, Guimaras to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.
As part of the construction preparations, DPWH has already begun developing road sections in Guimaras.
The feasibility study was conducted by Chinese state-owned consultancy firm CCCC Highway Consultants Co. Ltd./DGB, WDJ