DPWH warns sea, weather could delay PGN Bridge past 2033

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – Strong ocean currents in the Iloilo Strait and prolonged bad weather could delay completion of the PHP 331 billion Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project beyond its 2033 target, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Antonio Erwin Aranaz, project manager of the inter-island bridges project, said the same conditions delayed the detailed engineering design (DED), which took nearly two years to finish.

One of the project’s biggest engineering challenges, he said, is the powerful current in the Iloilo Strait, which separates Panay and Guimaras islands.

“The detailed engineering design itself was already a major challenge. The current in the Iloilo Strait is extremely strong,” Aranaz said during an infrastructure forum on July 29.

Aranaz said barges used during the DED, which were equipped with four stabilizing legs, sustained damage because of the force of the current.

“That is one of the reasons it took us almost two years to complete the design,” he added.

Section A of the project will span about 13.6 kilometers, linking Leganes, Iloilo, to Buenavista, Guimaras, across the Iloilo Strait.

Section B will stretch about 19.47 kilometers, connecting San Lorenzo, Guimaras, to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental.

Together the two sections form a bridge system of roughly 33 kilometers, among the longest sea crossings planned in Southeast Asia.

Aranaz said adverse weather conditions also disrupted field activities during the engineering phase.

“We had to suspend work for extended periods because of heavy rains and typhoons. Once Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 or No. 3 is raised, our barges have to be moved to safer areas,” he said.

Aside from weather and sea conditions, Aranaz said the DPWH is also working to minimize the project’s impact on the marine environment.

“We also have to consider the environmental aspect because construction activities can stir up sediments on the seabed. We have to control these impacts and ensure that these are properly managed,” he said.

Construction of Section A is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, while Section B is expected to start in the first quarter of 2028, allowing the two bridge sections to be built simultaneously.

The DPWH is also addressing the presence of existing submarine utility cables along the project alignment.

According to Aranaz, while transmission lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines are located away from the bridge site, some telecommunications cables — particularly those owned by PLDT — pose a challenge because they intersect with one of the bridge’s planned foundation locations.

He said the DPWH initially sought information from government agencies and utility operators regarding the undersea cables but received no response.

“It was only when we said we might have to cut the cable that PLDT came forward. They explained that they could not immediately disclose its location due to security concerns. However, the cable has yet to be relocated because one of our bridge foundations will affect it,” he said.

Aranaz said the bridge has already been designed with built-in utility corridors that can accommodate telecommunications lines and water pipelines.

“We have already incorporated utility boxes into the bridge design. Telecommunications companies will only need to install their cables inside these provisions. We have also allocated space for water pipelines,” he said.

However, he noted that the bridge will not be able to accommodate high-voltage power transmission cables because of their size and weight.

Aranaz said that as voltage capacity increases, transmission cables become much larger and heavier, and accommodating them could place an excessive load on the bridge.

The project’s price tag has moved sharply upward. Regional planning officials pegged the bridge system at about PHP 300 billion in October 2025, before design revisions requiring deeper foundations, additional support piles, and changes in bridge structures pushed the estimate to PHP 331.59 billion.

The construction estimate is separate from the PHP 3.18 billion spent on the detailed engineering design for both sections, which was completed in July 2026 and is undergoing final government approval before civil works begin.

Financing for the project comes chiefly from an official development assistance loan under South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund, administered by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

Environmental clearance has been a recurring point of contention. The Environmental Compliance Certificate for the bridge was granted in 2023, following objections from conservation groups over the Iloilo-Guimaras subpopulation of Irrawaddy dolphins, Orcaella brevirostris, which inhabits the waters the project will cross.

The PHP 331 billion PGN Island Bridges Project is one of the national government’s flagship infrastructure projects.

Once completed, it is expected to provide a permanent road link among Panay, Guimaras, and Negros islands, improving regional connectivity, facilitating trade and tourism, and reducing travel time across Western Visayas.