Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday led the inauguration of the Nabinay overflow bridge in Barangay Mabini, Cadiz City, that will cut the  travel  time of trucks delivering sugarcane to Victorias Milling Co. by about  12  kilometers,  in time for the start of the 2012-2013 milling season.

Marañon, Cadiz Mayor Patrick Escalante and Nemesio dela Cruz, chairman of the Victorias Mill District Development Council  Foundation, cut the ribbon  for the P2 million project jointly funded by  the provincial government and Victorias Milling Co.

The Nabinay overflow bridge  was  destroyed by a flood two years ago, and its repair  cost  P1,860,300 and the backfilling of the road   to the national highway,  P139,700, dela Cruz said.

He also  said about 50 to 100,000 metric tons of cane pass over the Nabinay overflow bridge during the milling season, saving a  large amount in gasoline cost by  cutting travel time.

It also provides Barangay Mabini residents  a shorter way to the highway, he added.

Marañon said  the provincial government encourages  counterpart funding of projects to    help   more areas.

He said providing roads to cut travel time in the delivery of cane will help cut sugar production costs to enable local producers to become  competitive, especially with the lifting of  tariffs on imported sugar in 2015.

Fr. Joemar Bacucang  blessed the new overflow bridge.*CPG

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