MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Friday hailed the engineering design of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge (BCIB) in a milestone ceremony of the project in Mariveles, Bataan.

He led the ceremonial switching of BCIB geotechnical investigation drilling equipment that marked the official launching of the project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

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BCIB is a 32-kilometer four lane bridge that will directly connect the provinces of Cavite and Bataan and will significantly reduce the travel time between two provinces from 5 and a half hours to only 45 minutes.

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Once completed, the bridge would also provide links with major thoroughfares in both provinces that will facilitate faster transfer of goods and services, the President stressed.

"That will be an incredible feat when it happens and would significantly help in decongesting Metro Manila as motorists will be able to travel without passing through the metropolis," the President noted.

"It will also help in bringing prices down for goods and services as transport and logistics cost will decrease thereby immense savings all around," he also noted.

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He ordered the officials of DPWH as well as the consultants of the project to remain committed to finishing it according to the schedule.

Initially, the bridge will be constructed within a 5-year time frame and will start in the third quarter of this year, generating at least 23,000 jobs in the process, he said.

"Kaya't ito yung pinuproblema natin, supply chain problems, this is the solution, the solution to the supply chain problems that we are facing now is connectivity. and when we talk about connectivity ngayon, hindi mo iniisip digital connectivity lang. Inisiip talaga natin yung kalsada, iyong sea lanes, lahat ng paraan upang magbyahe," he told reporters in an ambush interview after the event.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said that while BCIB was a direct investment by the government, the management of the project, once completed, may be a joint effort with the private sector.

"I don't think it will collect toll fees to recover the investment but we are thinking because this is a very long structure, and medyo complicated itong project na ito, we might consider actually to have [a] private party to maintain the bridge. Pinag-uusapan pa namin how are going to do it actually," Bonoan told reporters.

For his part, Transportation Sec. Jaime Bautista said the project would also help reduce the number of vehicles passing through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

"Ang dumadaan sa SCTEX ay around 30-40k a day , so siguro kapag nagakroon na ng bridge siguro at least 1/3 of this will pass through the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge," he said in an interview.

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