The 3.17-kilometer Panguil Bay Bridge project in Northern Mindanao is now 89 percent complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Saturday.

The inter-island bridge that connects Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, is expected to be finished this year despite funding challenges, Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain, in-charge of DPWH infrastructure flagship projects, said in a news release.

The project also faced delayes due to bad weather conditions in Mindanao during the past several days.

Last year, DPWH estimated that by June, the project will be open to vehicular traffic.

Sadain is optimistic that the implementing office, the Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster II (Multilateral), contractors and consultants would be able to make up for the delays.

The Panguil Bay Bridge project, which began in February 2020, is expected to reduce travel time, boost economic growth, and enhance transportation links between provinces of Northern and Central Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

In line with the DPWH INFRAgenda 2028 Strategic Plan, the project envisions a seven-minute inter-island connectivity with Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, and Tubod, Lanao del Norte as opposed to the current access connectivity through Roll-On/Roll-Off (RoRo), which has a travel time of about two and a half hours, including loading and unloading time.

The project is funded by a loan agreement between the Philippines and South Korean governments through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund. (PNA)