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The 3.98-km Samal Island-Davao City connector project was officially launched
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The two-way, four-lane bridge will cut travel time from Davao City to Island Garden City of Samal in Mindanao to 5 minutes, from 23 to 30 minutes via roll-on/roll-off ferry
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The P23.04-billion project will be financed with an ODA loan from China
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Implementation will start this year and completion will be in 2027
The Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) connector project was recently officially launched, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The two-way, four-lane bridge spanning 3.98 kilometers will link Davao City to Island Garden City of Samal in Mindanao, shortening travel time between the two cities to five minutes, from 23 to 30 minutes via roll-on/roll-off ferry currently.
The project will be funded with an official development assistance (ODA) loan from China. The Philippines and China exchanged documents recently for the 2.34 billion renminbi (P17.39 billion or about US$362 million) loan, which will cover 90% of the financing requirements of the design-and-build project worth P19.32 billion.
READ: China to lend PH P17.4B for Davao-Samal bridge
DPWH said the SIDC Project seeks to enhance internal mobility and external linkages to support the economic and tourism growth potential of the local region.
The project is the first loan agreement of the Philippines and China for an infrastructure project that is being implemented by DPWH’s Unified Project Management Office Operations.
Implementation will start this year and completion is targeted for 2027.
With an indicative cost of P23.04 billion, the Samal Island-Davao City connector is envisioned as a modern bridge that will link the Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, Island Garden City of Samal, to Davao City at the R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction.
Crossing over Pakiputan Strait, the Samal Island-Davao City connector has a width of 24 meters and a vertical navigational clearance of up to 47 meters. The span will be supported by two pylons 73 meters tall.
The SIDC project complements the Mindanao Spatial Strategy/Development Framework 2015-2045, the Davao Regional Development Plan, and the Davao Gulf Area Development Plan 2011-2030.
These three development plans all aim to facilitate commerce and trade, generate jobs, create wealth among the local government units in Mindanao, and share the benefits of its growth with more remote municipalities, including Samal Island.
The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area Cooperation, which intends to promote economic development in underdeveloped and geographically remote regions in its member countries, is also expected to benefit from the SIDC project.
