DOF: Construction of 3 ADB-funded Marikina bridges to begin within first half of 2022

The construction of three bridges across the Marikina River, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will begin in the first half of this year, according to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Wednesday.

“These three bridges span over 3,000 meters across the Marikina River and will connect Metro Manila’s arterial roads. They will be called Marcos Highway-Saint Mary Avenue Bridge, Homeowner’s Drive-A Bonifacio Bridge, and Kabayani Street-Matandang Balara Bridge,” Dominguez said during the exchange of loan documents for the Metro Manila Bridges Project.

“The bridges will be constructed starting the first half of this year and are expected to be completed in 2026,” he said.

In December last year, the Philippines secured $175 million in loans from the ADB for the funding of three new bridges over the Marikina River to improve Metro Manila traffic.

The three bridges are among the 12 to be built under the Metro Manila Bridges Project.

“These bridges are 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,” Dominguez said.

The Finance chief said that a key design feature of the three ADB-funded bridges is their ability to absorb strong earthquake shocks and reduce flood risks in the area, making them climate- and disaster-resilient.

ADB managing director general Woochong Um said the projects are a "milestone" for the Build, Build, Build program.

"Now, we are seeing the beginning of the end of the pandemic, we hope.  And the signing of the loan agreement comes at a critical time. We must continue investments in infrastructure now,  which is essential for securing strong economic development in 2022, and this comes from a very strong rebound of 5.6% economic growth last year," Um said.

The ADB has consistently and strongly supported the Build, Build, Build program since the start of the Duterte administration in 2016. 

The Malolos-Clark Railway, the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector, the EDSA Greenways, and the Angat Water Transmission Improvement are among the big-ticket infrastructure projects that the ADB has backed with its $2.3 billion in financial support.

“On behalf of the Philippine government, I thank the Asian Development Bank for being our most reliable multilateral development partner,” Dominguez said. —VBL, GMA News