DAVAO CITY – The construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC), also known as the Davao-Samal Bridge, will finally push through now that it has progressively started as seen in the photos on social media.
ONGOING construction works on the highly anticipated bridge that will connect Davao City and Samal Island on Tuesday, April 16. (Keith Bacongco)
Authorized employees had already installed a crane to lift the large equipment and materials for the construction of posts after they cut down the trees on the project’s path.
The SIDC bridge has a length of 3.9 kilometers, including the ramps in Davao City and a 24-meter-wide grade road and roundabout on the Samal circumferential highway. People are anticipating the government setting up the project at the landing site in Lanang area.
The Davao-Samal Bridge is expected to accommodate 25,000 vehicles per day, reducing the travel time between Davao and Samal to just five minutes compared to the 30-minute ferry boat ride.
Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno had earlier said he verified with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Emil Sadain if they have postponed the SIDC project as claimed by the National Economic and Development Authority-11 in a report.
According to Sadain, the SIDC project is in full swing. He said the DPWH-11 had conducted soil testing on the Davao side where the bridge will connect, specifically in front of the Insular Village beside the Beach Club.
Magno said that the Davao-Samal Bridge is among the projects given priority by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the Davao region. He added that the administration has been pushing this project since it would benefit everyone.