The CCLEX bridge is nearing completion.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The long-awaited Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) is nearing completion as it has reached 75 percent of construction as of June 17, 2021.
In a site tour hosted by the Cebu City Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) and Metro Pacific Tollway Corporation (MPTC), they showcased the ongoing construction of the bridge that would link Cordova town to Cebu City, now almost meeting halfway across the Mactan Channel.
Robert Uthwatt, the COWI Project Manager, said that the gap between the two sides of the bridge is only 104 meters and they expect to close that gap by November 2021.
Once the sides of the bridge connect, the bridge will be passable and other constructions will follow thereafter.
The target for operations of the expressway would be around February of 2022, although many factors can affect this target date including typhoons, unpredictable weather, and the pandemic.
“We are aiming for the last week of February to the first week of March year 2022. That’s the target,” said Uthwatt.
Works are now advancing at the main bridge with 41 out of 65 stay cables now in place. Girder installations using the launching gantry and plank installations are also being continuously done at the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR) on-ramp and off-ramp extensions.
At the Cordova viaduct, girder installation is well underway including the embankment works for the causeway. The four low-lying bridges that will serve as access for the Cordova fishermen to the fishing ground are almost complete as well.
Although it may take more than six months for Cebuanos to finally experience crossing the 8-kilometer expressway, the CCLEC said they are trying their best to complete the project the soonest time possible amid the limitations brought by the pandemic.
Tower 2 of the CCLEX.
Safety seal
The CCLEX construction was recently awarded the safety seal by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) after successfully mitigating the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in the construction site.
Daniel Muñoz, the project manager of Cebu Link Joint Venture (CLJV), said that the pandemic was challenging for them as they handle over 2,000 workers.
They housed the workers and divided them into shifts to ensure isolation between groups of workers and reducing chances of transmission.
Workers were also provided with transportation so that they will not have too much exposure to the rest of the city thereby reducing the chances of transmitting the virus.
Of the reported cases on the site, these were immediately handled according to government protocols and no outbreaks were recorded so far.
Still, the pandemic has certainly affected the construction timeline as reduced workforce means reduced progress.
MPTC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rodrigo Franco said that the project was delayed due to the pandemic.
“Because of the protocols, it is difficult to immediately implement social distancing, other protocols. It really affected the project. Had it not been for the pandemic, we would have completed the project a lot sooner,” said Franco.
Still, CCLEC and the companies helping build the iconic bridge are hoping that Cebuanos can wait a little longer as the expressway is an infrastructure “worth waiting for.” /rcg