Construction of the long-awaited Davao-Samal Bridge starts next year, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar said.
In a virtual press conference at Malacañang, Villar said they intend to finish the bidding of the project in October and November this year.
“Our format of this project is the design and build.”
“Our format of this project is the design and build. They will make the final design, however, we can also expect some design adjustments but more or less the bridge alignment has already been set,” Villar said.
By December, the public works chief noted that the P23-billion Davao-Samal Bridge project’s loan agreement will also be completed.
“We expect by next year we will have a normal implementation of the project,” the public works head said, citing some delays might occur due to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“The timeline of the project’s completion will not be affected.”
Still, Villar has assured that the timeline of the project’s completion will not be affected.
Without giving the exact timeline, Villar said: “It will take several years to complete.”
The bridge project was supposed to break ground in July this year but was canceled because of the pandemic.
With a length of about 2,830 meters, the bridge will provide a vital link for trade and tourism for both areas through reduced transport costs and faster flow of people, goods, and resources.
Conceptualized 40 years ago, the bridge project has been identified as among the big-ticket infrastructure initiatives under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.