Local and foreign companies are keen to join the bidding for the construction of the 32.15-kilometer Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) project worth P219.3 billion by next year, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
DPWH conducted a contractor’s outreach event on December 13 at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City, to connect and promote information sharing with prospective local and foreign contractors of the upcoming BCIB project and strengthen partnerships in the construction industry, according to Emil Sadain, DPWH senior undersecretary.
Those who participated in the contractor outreach include ADB Philippine Office country director Pavit Ramachandran; AIIB South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Region Transport Sector head Andres Pizarro; and representatives from the embassies of the United States of America, Italy, Spain, India, Canada, and Malaysia.
Attendees from local and international construction companies had the opportunity to engage in discussions, ask questions, and network with key stakeholders and prospective business partners in preparation for the bidding set in January.
DPWH said the publication of the invitation to bid for the first two contract packages is set next month The first package is the land approach including the interchange in Bataan and package 2 involves the land approach including the interchange in Cavite.
The project will be divided into seven contract packages with the DPWH targeting to start construction by July 2024 of the two on-land packages: the five- kilometer Bataan Land Approach under Package 1 and the 1.35-kilometer
Cavite Land Approach under Package 2.
Other packages are the 20.65-kilometer Marine Viaducts in the North and South under Packages 3 and 4; the 2.15-kilometer North Channel Bridge for package 5 and the 3.15-kilometer South Channel Bridge for package 6. The 7th package involves project-wide ancillary works with an eventual separate package 8 for Operations and Maintenance.
The BCIB project will be bankrolled through a newly approved $2.1 billion multi-tranche financing facility of the Asian Development Bank, the first tranche of which will amount to $650 million.
