(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the inspection of the nearly completed Camalaniugan Bridge which will connect the northeastern and northwestern parts of Cagayan province. Once completed, the 1,580-meter-long cable-stayed bridge will connect the towns of Aparri and Camalaniugan. It is the only bridge crossing the Cagayan River in the northernmost part of province. With a total contract price of P2.34 billion, the “mega bridge” is a joint venture between Agafer Construction, a local construction firm, and Hunan Road and Bridge Construction, a China-based company, implemented under a design-and-build scheme. The construction started in May 2020, with 99 percent of the civil works accomplished as of Sept. 30, 2025. However, the pandemic pushed back its completion date with its new target inauguration slated for January 2026. Marcos, however, hopes the bridge would already be open to traffic in time for Christmas. “This is a big deal because Aparri-Claveria, Aparri-Ballesteros, up to Ballesteros there are already good roads. Six thousand people would be able to pass through here every day,” he said. “So, there will be a lot of traffic. The Aparri Port is right there. All the goods that are brought everywhere — travel long distances. Here, it would be trimmed to only 20 minutes,” he added. Once fully operational, the Camalaniugan Bridge is expected to improve accessibility, strengthen economic connections, and cut travel time between Aparri, Cagayan and Ballesteros, Cagayan and would also serve as an alternative route to the old Magapit Suspension Bridge.