DAVAO CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to build the country’s first long distance mountain tunnel measuring 2.3 kilometers as part of the first 10.7- kilometer segment of the Davao City Bypass Road Project.
Based on information released by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Wednesday (Nov. 4), the contract between DPWH and the joint venture of Shimizu Corporation, Ulticon Builders, Inc., and Takenaka Civil Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., was signed on October 29.
The project, which will connect the Barangays of Sirawan in Davao City and J.P. Laurel in Panabo City, will cut travel time to 49 minutes instead of an hour and 44 minutes via the existing Pan-Philippine Highway Diversion Road.
Some advanced tunneling technologies employed in Japan will be brought to Davao for the construction of the four-lane road tunnel, according to JICA.
The road tunnel will run through the mountainous section of Barangay Magtuod in this city.
A report released by the DPWH said the bypass road will have an important role to unite west and east side communities that are experiencing more economic activities but are separated by a mountain.
The objectives of the project include hastening interregional transport of goods and services through the city, reduce transport cost of products to customers, mitigate congestion in the urban center, provide a more reliable, more efficient and unimpeded flow of goods and services, support the growing agro-industrial sector, manage urbanization in the city and its periphery, and provide better access to and from major ports in Davao Gulf, including Sasa Port in the city and Davao International Container Port in Panabo City.
JICA assisted the Philippine government in conceptualizing the bypass road project by providing technical assistance, and provision of Japanese official development assistance (ODA) fund to support the “financing requirements, including the detailed engineering design, construction supervision, and capacity development components.”
According to the DPWH, the first segment (package I-1) of the 45.5 kilometer bypass road project is estimated to cost ₱13.230 billion and expected to be completed in three years.
It said the entire bypass road project will be divided into package I-1 (10.7 km), package I-2 (12.8 km), package I-3 (6.1 km), package II-1 (2.7 km), package II-2 (3.5 km), and package II-3 (9.7 km).