MANILA — The Cavite Gateway Terminal (CGT), the first container barge port in the country, is set to be inaugurated next month, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said Friday.
“We are an archipelago, so this is really a no-brainer. Matagal na dapat ito. Madalas congested ang mga kalsada na papunta sa mga port, at ito ang magiging solusyon dyan (This is long overdue. It will ease congestion on roads leading to the ports). This project is also proof that when the government and the private sector work together, beautiful things can happen,” Tugade said in a statement.
The CGT will allow the efficient transport of cargo from the Port of Manila to Cavite through barges and roll-on roll-off (RoRo) operations, and is expected to ease traffic congestion in major roads across Metro Manila.
The terminal will also be integrated with other major Luzon port facilities for a cost-effective and time-bound access to the Cavite market.
President Rodrigo Duterte will grace the inauguration with Tugade, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Bases Conversion and Development Authority president Vince Dizon, and local government officials.
Located on a six-hectare property in Tanza, Cavite, the barge terminal, which will be operated by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., is expected to reduce truck trips in Metro Manila by 140,000 trips annually.
As a result, road traffic will be reduced by approximately 2 km. of trucks, when the terminal starts operations.
The construction of the CGT began in October last year.
Barge operations began last month as part of the dry run prior to full operation. ( Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
