THE Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) reported that as of November 25, 2024, the Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project or the Davao-Samal Bridge has an overall actual accomplishment of 6.459 percent.
Dean Ortiz, spokesperson for DPWH-Davao, said that the civil works component is already at 3.515 percent, while the Detailed Engineering Design (DED) is at 2.944 percent.
“All of the remaining Detailed Engineering Design plans have been approved following the Bureau of Design (BOD) memorandum dated November 4, 2024,” he said during the Wednesday Media Forum at Ayala Malls Abreeza on November 27, 2024.
Ortiz added that for the civil works, such as the bored piling works for Davao and Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) for the land viaduct, the Igacos side has already laid out 74 out of 74 bored piles, while the Davao side has completed 51 out of 110.
He said that pile cap construction for Davao City began on September 12, 2024, and, as of November 25, 2024, the office has achieved a 15.38 percent completion rate for the construction of the land viaduct substructure of the project. He explained that the bored piling is part of the land viaduct, which is the portion of the bridge still on land, and that construction over water has not yet started.
Ortiz then clarified that the crane way, which the public often mistakenly refers to as the actual bridge, serves as a pathway for the equipment. He said that the construction of the temporary steel bridge has already been completed, and the steel crane way would be used for the construction of the marine viaduct navigation bridge.
Road Right Of Way issues
Ortiz discussed some of the challenges the office is facing in the construction of the SIDC, particularly the Road Right of Way (RROW) issues on the Davao side. He noted that for the Igacos side in Barangay Limao, there are no longer any problems, as ten out of ten properties have been expropriated.
On the Davao side, there are 52 affected properties under negotiated sale, of which 36 have already been paid for, and 16 are still in process. For the expropriated properties, out of seven properties, five have been paid, and two are still in process.
“For the number of affected structures since we have a total of 50 affected structures in the Davao side, 12 have been paid, 38 are still being processed, so meaning we are slowly getting there since we cannot fully implement the project if we have not settled these concerns,” he said.
Ortiz said that the target timeline for negotiating the claims is the first quarter of 2025. As for the expropriation cases that are in process, these have already been filed in the concerned trial courts.
Environmental concerns
To recall, the Davao City-based environmental group Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM) raised concerns about the construction of the bridge, highlighting its potential negative impact on the coral reefs and marine wildlife in the area.
However, Ortiz said that their office has been following the recommendations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to minimize environmental damage. He said that environmental safeguards have been implemented to ensure minimal effects on the coral reefs. Some of the safeguards include catchment systems for debris from the diggings and a monitoring team composed of representatives from various sectors to oversee the project and ensure that all safeguards are in place.
“The DENR would not have issued us an ECC [Environmental Compliance Certificate] kung halimbawa nakita nila na delikado siya sa environment [for example if they see that it is dangerous for the environment],” he said.
Earlier, Engr. Rodrigo Delos Reyes, project director for DPWH, mentioned during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on June 10, 2024, at SM City Davao, that silt curtains would be installed when drilling for the bridge begins.
Regarding the 200 trees that were cut down to make way for the project, Ortiz explained that for every tree that was removed, 100 trees would be planted in compensation. He added that planting has already begun in coordination with the DENR.
DPWH-Davao also stressed the significant economic benefits of the bridge, especially in terms of boosting tourism on both sides. Ortiz said that the bridge would be a “game changer” for Davao del Norte and Davao City once it is completed.
Construction of the SIDC began earlier this year. It is a four-lane bridge with a 275-meter main span. The project's contractor is China Road and Bridge Corporation, with a contract amount of P19 billion. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in 2028. RGP
