A 15-kilometer proposed “super bridge” project that will connect Mindoro Island to mainland Luzon is now on the list of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) priority projects.

The project, estimated to cost about P18 billion, was based on a proposal submitted to the Department of Public Works and Highways by Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali Jr.

The bridge is deemed to “maximize the current position of Mindoro Island as ‘Luzon’s Gateway to the South’ to the Island Provinces of Visayas and Mindanao Region through opening roads to faster and efficient transport of goods and people along the existing Nautical Highway,” the DPWH said in a project description.

Construction is expected to last for five years.

Umali, who is the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, said that San Miguel Corporation has expressed interest in building the bridge under the public-private partnership venture.

The bridge will cover the 8.5-kilometer distance from Mindoro Island to Verde Island and 6.5-kilometer distance from Verde Island to Batangas, over a 10m – 300m water depth.

It will have two or four lanes and can withstand strong and high speed winds.

The provincial government believes the “super bridge” will cater to the increasing demand for expansion and optimization of basic industries or utilities like water, power, oil, and telecommunication.

It is also expected to boost agriculture and ecotourism.