The link will run between Cebu City and Cordova. “The new Cebu-Cordova link will provide an effective short-cut from Cebu, the second largest city in the Philippines to the international airport reducing the car travel with approximately 40 minutes,” said Cowi regional manager for South East Asia Mogens Hviid.
There will be two lanes in each direction and the project includes the main navigation span bridge along with viaduct approach bridges, a causeway, road and toll facilities. The span of the bridge allows for shipping traffic and the link is expected to serve at least 40,000 vehicles daily.
Cowi’s client, Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corporation (MPTDC) will finance, design, construct and operate and maintain the new route under a 35-year concession agreement entered with the local governments of Cebu City and Cordova Municipality.
The location of the new Cebu-Cordova link brings a range of technical challenges such as a high risk of typhoons. ”To tackle the challenges we will draw on our experiences from previous projects in earthquake and typhoon zones such as the Busan-Geoje fixed link in South Korea, Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong and the Izmit Bay link in Turkey, which includes the world’s fourth longest suspension bridge,” said Cowi vice president for bridges international Tina Vejrum.
MPTDC plans for the on-site construction to start during 2017, with project completion envisaged by 2020.
