• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is optimistic that the construction of Guimaras-Negros bridge (Section B) segment of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island (PGN) Bridges Project will start in 2027, after getting an update from Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
Lacson met with Balisacan during the inauguration of the National Economic and Development Authority regional office at the Carlos Hilado Memorial State University Alijis campus in Bacolod City on March 10.
He said they were assured that the PGN Bridges Project is among the priority infrastructure projects of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Balisacan visited the proposed entry and exit point of the PGN Bridges Project in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental also on Monday.
The Panay-Guimaras (Section A) segment has a total length of 13.616 kilometers while the Guimaras to Negros (Section B) stretches 19.47 kilometers.
Lacson said Balisacan told them about a little delay in the completion of the detailed engineering design (DED) for the Iloilo-Guimaras section, citing a need for its restudy.
“They have to dig deeper from 75 meters to 150 meters,” the governor said.
Still, Lacson said that Balisacan also assured them that once the Iloilo-Guimaras segment DED is completed, the Guimaras-Negros segment DED will follow six months after.
The entire PGN Bridges Project includes 32.47 kilometers of sea-crossing bridges, connecting roads, and interchanges.
Once completed, the project is expected to reduce travel time between Panay, Guimaras, and Negros Islands from three to four hours to under an hour. | GB
