Top officials of Negros Occidental have expressed optimism on the development of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges Project as Public Works Secretary Mark Villar announced over the weekend that the project is pushing through.

In a report on Monday, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the new feasibility study for the bridges project will now include the areas in the province’s third district.

Only the proposed site in Pulupandan town situated in the fourth district was included in the initial study.

“In one of our Provincial Development Council meetings, we asked for a new feasibility study…The former feasibility study, we never saw that. The message I’m getting is, buhay pa na’ng plano (the plan is still alive). Madayon gid na ang (It will push through), the connection from Panay to Negros Occidental,” Lacson said.

On Sunday, Lacson discussed the latest development on the bridges project in a radio program hosted by Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, who also expressed support for the project.

“Both islands will benefit definitely, especially for tourism,” he said.

Villar posted on his Facebook page and also on the Team Build, Build, Build Facebook group that the Department of Public Works and Highways has already completed the project’s pre-feasibility study.

“Tuloy po ba ang (Is the) Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge (pushing through)? Tuloy na tuloy (It is really pushing),” Villar said.

“We have already completed the pre-feasibility study. The feasibility study is now in its final stages. We are already preparing for its detailed engineering design,” he said.

Villar, however, did not yet provide a timeline on the implementation of the project.

In a Jan. 2, 2020 report, the National Economic Development Authority said the PGN Island Bridges Project was among the 12 projects recommended by the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee for NEDA Board approval.

With a proposed cost of PHP189.53 billion, the project will be funded through official development assistance (ODA).

According to the NEDA report, the project involves the construction of a 32.47-kilometer, four-lane, two-sea-crossing bridges, including connecting roads and interchanges, that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros.

The project “intends to provide a safer, faster, and more convenient transportation linkage between Panay, Guimaras and Negros through a connected land passageway” and is “seen to improve the highway trunk networks thus, allowing the flow of people, goods and services between the three islands,” it added. (PNA)