Segment 1 of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project will be operational before President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ends his term, the head of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Western Visayas said on Thursday, January 25.

In an interview, DPWH Western Visayas regional director Engineer Sanny Boy Oropel said the award and notice to proceed has already been issued to the consortium of five consultants for a study on the detailed engineering design (DED) for the Panay-Guimaras Segment 1 and the Guimaras-Negros Segment 2.

He said the completion of the DED for Segment 1 is set by the end of December 2024.

The alignment for the Panay-Guimaras side has been decided, but the exact location of the approaches is yet to be decided by the consultant.

“Right after December 2024, the turnover and start of civil works will immediately begin. Hopefully, the civil works for the Panay-Guimaras Segment 1 will start maybe the second semester of 2025,” Oropel said at the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for the College of Law building of the West Visayas State University in La Paz district.

“The Panay-Guimaras Bridge is promised to be completed before the term of President Marcos, so that time, maybe before June of 2028, the bridge will be operational,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oropel said the DED for the Guimaras-Negros Segment 2 will continue until the end of December 2025.

The segment connecting Panay and Guimaras spans 13 kilometers, while the Guimaras-Negros segment is 19.47 kilometers.

The total cost of the project is P189 billion, P20 billion of which is allocated for the acquisition of the road right of way.

Its budget is under foreign-assisted projects, which means that the project is already assured of funds, Oropel said. (PNA)