Proponents of the Cebu-Cordova Bridge Project called on the Cebu City government to “consider the urgency” of the project which remains pending in their side.
In yesterday’s Cebu City Council session, lawyer Aristotle Batuhan, legal advisor of the Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC), said the city should sign their joint venture agreement (JVA) with the firm for the bridge project.
“Time is of the essence for this project. Since we were issued a notice of award on December 23, 2015, we only have one year to fulfill the conditions precedent to the project including approval of the toll fee from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB),” Batuhan told the council.
Batuhan explained that they now term the project as the Cebu-Cordova Bridge Project and not the third bridge project, since there’s a different project with the same name to be undertaken by DPWH somewhere in the north.
The Cebu Mactan Bridge will start near the Cebu South Coastal Road Tunnel (CSCR) where an 825-meter main span bridge will connect to Shell Island.
A 7.65-kilometer causeway and viaduct will connect Shell Island to Pilipog in Cordova town.
Batuhan said he hopes the City Council will authorize Mayor Michael Rama to sign the joint venture with MPTDC before the elections.
He said Cordova signed the joint venture and it has to be submitted and ratified by the Provincial Board. They can’t do so unless Cebu City signs its JVA.