The Philippines’ 3.17-km Panguil Bay Bridge was officially opened on 27 September 2024. A project by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), it is currently the longest sea-crossing bridge in Mindanao – connecting Lanao del Norte (via Tubod town) and Misamis Occidental (via Tangub City), which are located in the northern part of the region.

This landmark infrastructure, which crosses the Panguil Bay, significantly reduces the travel time between Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte to just seven minutes from two to two and a half hours. [Scroll down to watch a video of the inauguration event].

According to DPWH, the project was meticulously designed using extensive geotechnical surveys. It features an extra-dosed main bridge, with a 320-m central span, supported by two pylons standing at 20 m tall, anchored by six cable stays.

The PHP 8.026-billion project began with a pre-feasibility study in 1998, followed by several feasibility assessments and a comprehensive business case study to ultimately secure the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board’s approval in May 2015, shared DPWH.

The following years involved careful planning, multiple approvals and adjustments until it reached the procurement phase in 2018, with bids evaluated and contracts signed in November 2019. Actual work on the design and build of the bridge started on 28 February 2020.

Korean bridge technology

Construction of the project adopted an advanced Korean bridge technology, revealed DPWH. This included reverse circulation drilling on barges to create boreholes and launching of thick permanent steel casings using revolving crane barges and vibro pile hammers. Additionally, two land and sea-based batching plants supplied ready-mixed concrete for the project.

There are 54 bored piles for 32 piers, ensuring a solid foundation capable of supporting the structure that carries two-lane, two-way traffic with a carriageway width of 13 m. The bridge incorporates a 360-m approach road leading to a 1,020-m approach bridge on the Tangub City side, alongside a 569-m approach road connecting to a 900-m approach bridge on the Tubod side. Both approaches were built using pre-stressed concrete box girders through an incremental launching method.

The Panguil Bay Bridge Project (PBBP) was carried out through a loan agreement funding signed in 2016 between the Philippine government and the Korean Export-Import Bank – Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEDCF).

Image 1: RTVM
Image 2: DPWH