DAVAO CITY – Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon expressed confidence Thursday that the P20-billion Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge project will be completed before the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s administration.

Speaking on the sidelines of his inspection of a road slip in Purok 39, Sitio Marahan, Barangay Marilog Proper, Dizon said contractors and engineers assured him of the project's completion.

"Initially they told me that it might be at the end of 2028. But we are confident now – I talked to the contractors and engineers and we will finish it before the end of PBBM's term," he said.

The project has reached 62 percent physical accomplishment, according to the DPWH-Davao region.

DPWH-11 earlier reported that the project's scheduled accomplishment stood at 61.26 percent as of June 2026, with the project slightly ahead of its timeline at a positive slippage of 0.065 percent.

The project is a toll-free, four-lane extradosed bridge spanning 4.7 kilometers, with roundabouts, ramps, approaches, and marine and land viaducts.

Once operational, it is expected to serve up to 25,000 vehicles daily, cutting travel time between Davao City and Samal Island from 30 minutes via ferry to just five minutes.

"I am assuring the people of Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal that we will finish before the end of the President's term. That is the commitment of the President to the people of Davao and to the people of Samal," Dizon said.

Meanwhile, during his visit to Marahan, Dizon emphasized the importance of the Davao-Bukidnon road connection, which was heavily affected by a road slip triggered by heavy rains on July 17.

The incident displaced at least 14 families and damaged several houses in the area. Dizon instructed DPWH-11 to begin constructing a temporary road access on July 27 to ease commuter burden while assuring that a long-term engineering solution for permanent access will follow. (PNA)