The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) reached a major construction milestone on Tuesday with the final main bridge piece nowcast, cementing a feat that is more than three years in the making.

The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and its subsidiary, Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC), wrapped up the construction on the main bridge deck with a special joint concreting rites covering the remaining two-meter gap.

“We are finally at the tail end of the construction of our CCLEX project and I, together with my colleagues, share the incredible pride in this milestone achievement,” said MPTC president Rodrigo Franco, who is in Cebu to witness the activity.

Stitching the remaining gap unites the deck of Tower 2 with that of Tower 1, a symbolic achievement of finally linking the quaint town of Cordova in Mactan Island to the highly urbanized Cebu City in the mainland. The main bridge deck hovers 51 meters above the Mactan Channel.

“After today’s main bridge deck connection, we look forward to another milestone and that is opening CCLEX to the public in the first quarter of 2022. We can’t wait to see Cebuanos enjoy the ultimate expressway experience afforded by using this bridge,” said Allan Alfon, CCLEC president and general manager.

The 8.5-kilometer CCLEX will be using a fully electronic toll collection system once opened to motorists.

MPTC and CCLEC thanked the hundreds of skilled foreign and local workers behind the construction of the main bridge who defied some work challenges. Among these are working at heights in the middle of the Mactan Channel with live marine traffic and following stringent health and safety protocols because of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

CCLEX’s main contractor is Cebu Link Joint Venture composed of Spanish-based firm, Acciona Construccion S.A., and Filipino companies First Balfour and DM Consunji Inc.

CCLEC also engaged COWI A/S of Denmark with the Philippines’ DCCD Engineering Corp. as its technical advisor and Norconsult, a Norweigan consultancy firm, as the project’s independent consultant.

As of August 2021, there was a total of 1,936 workers fielded for the entire CCLEX project rendering 15,199,178 total man-hours.

CCLEX, which will be the third link to Mactan Island from Cordova to mainland Cebu through Cebu City’s South Road Properties, has a design speed of 80 kilometers per hour and a navigational clearance or height of 51 meters to allow large vessels to pass underneath the bridge.

Not only is CCLEX seen to reduce traffic and make traveling more convenient but also spur trade activities and open greater economic opportunities for Cebu and the rest of the Visayas region. (PNA)