SMC plans to construct ‘super bridge’ linking Mindoro and Batangas

MANILA: The construction of a 15-kilometer “super bridge” that will connect the island of Mindoro with the mainland Luzon through the province of Batangas is being discussed by San Miguel Corporation and the local government of Mindoro through Governor Humerlito Dolor.

Oriental Mindoro Second District Representative Alfonso Umali initially proposed the project in 2015. The project is now being endorsed by Dolor with the goal of promoting growth and development in Oriental Mindoro and the entire MIMAROPA region following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have started bringing together global experts across disciplines, including a European architectural and engineering firm to do a technical feasibility study on how the bridge can be built sustainably to benefit both people and the environment,” SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Ang stated.

Ang said that since his meeting with Dolor last year, SMC has contracted a local company to perform a bathymetric study to gauge water depth. Starting at Barangay Ilijan in Batangas City, the bridge will cross Verde Island and end in Barangay Sinandigan in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

“We thank Governor Dolor for pursuing this game-changing project and considering our company to be able to deliver a world-class bridge,” Ang added. “It has faced a series of setbacks over the years but we hope that together we can finally bring the vision to fruition.”

The bridge is expected to contribute to faster and more efficient transport of people and products and to local economic growth through the creation of jobs, increased investments, and the improvement of basic utilities like water, power, and telecommunications.

Photo from San Miguel Corporation

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