Cebu Bridge work begins in the Philippines

ACCIONA and its joint venture partners have begun work on the new Cebu-Cordova bridge in the Philippines, marking a major milestone for the project.

The bridge will deliver numerous benefits to the travelling public by connecting Cebu City to Mactan Island via the Cordova municipality and easing traffic congestion on existing bridges.

A ceremony on 5 July to celebrate the first piling works was attended by personnel from ACCIONA and JV partners First Balfour and D.M. Consunji, local and national authorities, high-level customers, and a representative of the Spanish Embassy, among others.

Ruben Camba, ACCIONA Country Manager Singapore and South East Asia, said: “It was great to witness the start of construction together with many of our most important stakeholders. This bridge will help contribute to economic development in the area, while demonstrating our technical and construction skills. We’re officially off to a good start on this landmark project, and congratulations to everyone involved so far.”

Current construction activity is focusing on dropping the 30 pile casings needed for the first tower, which should take three to four months. Around 130 people are currently working on the project, with the total expected to grow to 2,000 when peak construction is reached.

The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2021, and represents ACCIONA’s second major contract in the country after securing a project to design and build the Putatan 2 drinking water plant outside Manila in 2016.