• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge Section A is expected to start next year, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Engr. Jessica Andaya, who led a team from the DPWH Central Office-Roads Management Cluster in paying a courtesy call on Mayor Marina Javellana-Yao at the Bago City Hall on Friday (July 4), said they have completed 82 percent of the detailed engineering design.
Andaya told Javellana-Yao they are expected to begin the construction of Section A covering Panay and Guimaras in 2026.
The PGN Link Bridge is divided into two major sections. Section A spans 13 kilometers, connecting Panay to Guimaras with a 4.97-kilometer sea-crossing bridge. Section B will connect Guimaras to Negros, featuring a 19.47-kilometer stretch, including a 13.11-kilometer sea-crossing bridge.
“The detailed engineering design of the project is ongoing and we are targeting to complete it by September this year,” Andaya said.
Javellana-Yao was also briefed by Andaya on the project overview and updates as well as on their request for the location of a field office in Bago City.
The DPWH has already identified the initial location of the field office that will handle the bridge project.
“We are just waiting for the approval of the local government,” Andaya said.
Andaya said the landing of the bridge is connected to the Negros South Road, with one side situated in Bago City.
The PGN bridge project, valued at P189 billion, is a major infrastructure initiative that aims to enhance regional connectivity through a 32-kilometer bridge connecting the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros. | GB
