Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar led the groundbreaking ceremony of the P2.4-billion mega bridge project that will link the towns of Aparri and Camalaniugan in Cagayan Province.
Villar said that construction of Camalaniugan Bridge under design and build contract will provide a new connectivity between eastern to western Cagayan that will benefit about 6,000 daily travellers.
“It’s going to spur socio-economic development and increase productivity of our people in Aparri, Camalaniugan, and Ballesteros.”
“We are starting to build this bridge and it’s going to spur socio-economic development and increase productivity of our people in Aparri, Camalaniugan, and Ballesteros in the Province of Cagayan,” the public works chief added.
The groundbreaking ceremony was participated by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, Senior Undersecretary Rafael Yabut and Assistant Secretary Wilfredo Mallari of DPWH Regional Operations in Luzon, Region 2 Director Loreta Malaluan, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, Camalaniugan Mayor Angelica Dela Cruz and other public works and local government officials.
The bridge will be an iconic symbol of the Build, Build, Build program of the President Rodrigo Duterte administration.
With its aesthetic design, the bridge will be an iconic symbol of the Build, Build, Build program of the President Rodrigo Duterte administration that will also further boost tourism in Cagayan Valley Region.
Presently under detailed engineering design stage, the project once completed in 2023 will be reduced by half travel time between Camalaniugan and Aparri to Ballesteros from 1 hour 30 minutes to 30-45 minutes.
The bridge construction across Cagayan River has a total length of 1,580 meters with a road network 467 meters in length and 18 spans by 55 meters bridge as approach “A” located in Aparri west; a 480-meter cable stayed main bridge made of 2 spans at 55 meters per span and 2 spans at 157.50 per span; and 2 spans by 82.50 meters bridge and 119 meters road at approach “B” in Camalaniugan side.
The project along the Manila North Road at Jct. Bangag-Paruddun Section to connect at Jct. Cagayan Valley Road is seen to be a crucial infrastructure as it will provide a new bridge and an alternate route to Magapit Suspension Bridge in Lallo, Cagayan which at present is the only bridge that crosses Cagayan River in the northernmost part of Cagayan towards Ilocos and Cordillera Regions.
The public works head, together with Cimatu, also inspected the ongoing Cagayan River rehabilitation and dredging project in Barangay Bangag, Lallo under the Build Back Better program.
The Cagayan River Restoration program aims to prevent recurrence of massive flooding experienced last year in Cagayan Valley Region brought by heavy rains.
