📋 Tender Overview
NAVAL, Biliran (PIA) -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Biliran District Engineering Office confirmed that preparatory studies for the proposed construction of a parallel Biliran Bridge are underway under a foreign-assisted project with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). District Engineer Irwin L. Antonio said assurances have already been filed with the ADB for the project, emphasizing that the construction of a bridge of such magnitude cannot be undertaken immediately and requires careful study. This kind of project requires massive and careful study. At present, the initial tests are ongoing, followed by the feasibility study, soil exploration, and then pre-detailed engineering, Antonio said. Antonio added that technical teams have already visited the DPWH office and met with Governor Rogelio J. Espina to brief provincial officials on the project timeline. We were clearly instructed not to make any estimates for the construction of the parallel bridge because the funding will be provided through a foreign-assisted project, he said. While the parallel bridge remains a long-term solution, Antonio said DPWH has already filed a proposal to include additional funding in the 2026 or 2027 national budget for the retrofitting of the existing Biliran Bridge. The proposed retrofitting aims to restore the bridges original load capacity of 20 tons, which would significantly ease weight limitations currently affecting the movement of goods and services into and out of the province. Antonio assured stakeholders that the construction of a parallel bridge is already in the pipeline, while immediate measures are being pursued to address the current structural limitations of the existing bridge. (RSV/PIA Biliran)
