THE Finance department said on Wednesday that it expects the construction of the three Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded bridges in Metro Manila to start in the first half of the year.
“The construction of these three infrastructure projects, the Marcos Highway-Saint Mary Avenue Bridge, Homeowner’s Drive-A Bonifacio Bridge, and the Kabayani Street-Matandang Balara Bridge, will start in the first half of this year and due for completion in 2026,” the Department of Finance (DoF) said in a statement.
“The three bridge projects will be financed through a $175.1-million loan from the ADB,” the DoF said.
The bridges’ combined span is more than three kilometers, all across the Marikina River.
The three bridges are also among the 12 to be built under the Metro Manila Bridges Project.
The Department of Public Works and Highways said the Marcos Highway-St. Mary Avenue Bridge will span 1,606.30 meters, the Homeowner’s Drive-A. Bonifacio Bridge 691 meters, and Kabayani Street-Matandang Balara Bridge 726.30 meters.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and ADB Managing Director-General Woochong Um exchanged copies of the loan documents for the construction of the three bridges on Wednesday.
Mr. Dominguez described the bridge projects as “crucial components of the Build, Build, Build program that will help our economy bounce back from the adverse effects of the pandemic.”
“With their high multiplier effect and job-generating potential, investments in infrastructure will be the engine for our rapid economic recovery,” he added.
He said the bridges will have the ability to “absorb strong earthquake shocks and reduce flood risks in the area, making them climate- and disaster-resilient.”
According to the Finance department, among the big-ticket projects that the ADB has supported through its financing assistance totaling $2.3 billion are the Malolos-Clark Railway project, the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector project, the EDSA Greenways project, and the Angat Water Transmission Improvement project. — Arjay L. Balinbin
